crescendo

[ kri-shen-doh, -sen-doh; Italian kre-shen-daw ]

noun

, plural cre·scen·dos, cre·scen·di [kri-, shen, -dee, -, sen, -dee, k, r, e-, shen, -dee].

1. Music.
   1. a gradual, steady increase in loudness or force.
   2. a musical passage characterized by such an increase.
   3. the performance of a crescendo passage:

      The crescendo by the violins is too abrupt.

   Antonyms: diminuendo

2. a steady increase in force or intensity:

   The rain fell in a crescendo on the rooftops.

3. the climactic point or moment in such an increase; peak:

   The authorities finally took action when public outrage reached a crescendo.

adjective

1. gradually increasing in force, volume, or loudness ( decrescendo or diminuendo ).

verb (used without object)

1. to grow in force or loudness.

crescendo

/ krɪˈʃɛndəʊ /

noun

1. music
   1. a gradual increase in loudness or the musical direction or symbol indicating this crescwritten over the music affected
   2. ( as modifier )

      a crescendo passage

2. a gradual increase in loudness or intensity

   the rising crescendo of a song

3. a peak of noise or intensity

   the cheers reached a crescendo

verb

1. intr to increase in loudness or force

adverb

1. with a crescendo

crescendo

1. A musical direction used to indicate increasing loudness.

Notes

The term is sometimes used figuratively to indicate rising intensity in general: “As the days went on, there was a crescendo of angry letters about my speech.” Crescendo is also sometimes misused to indicate a peak of intensity, as in, “The angry letters about my speech hit a crescendo on Wednesday.”

Word History and Origins

Origin of crescendo¹

1770–80; < Italian: literally, growing < Latin crēscendum, gerund of crēscere to grow; crescent

Word History and Origins

Origin of crescendo¹

C18: from Italian, literally: increasing, from crescere to grow, from Latin

Example Sentences

The heat will begin to manifest itself in abnormally high temperatures Saturday before becoming entrenched Sunday and reaching a crescendo Monday.

From Washington Post

Music swells, crescendos, and then it ends — opening the door for something new.

From Vox

Mobile-first has been a priority of Google’s for years as the beat of the user experience drum has grown to a crescendo.

From Search Engine Watch

That’s what the researchers were really trying to get at by now, as the study reached its crescendo.

From Freakonomics

The sermon reaches a singsong crescendo with Huling in an Ozzy Osbourne rock-star crouch screaming into the microphone.

From Washington Post

When things reached the ludicrous crescendo of the finale—when neither story made sense—my heart sank.

From The Daily Beast

“It is only loyal to the Iranian leadership,” he concludes with a crescendo.

From The Daily Beast

Global attention and anger about the kidnapping, after a slow start, is now reaching a thunderous crescendo.

From The Daily Beast

The chants grew louder before reaching an eardrum-piercing crescendo when the 2013 Arab Idol glided on stage.

From The Daily Beast

The nearly half-decade movement to repeal and replace the medical device tax reached a crescendo on Tuesday.

From The Daily Beast

The words dropped from her lips in a sibilous 184 crescendo as her blood drove her to a display of emotion.

From Project Gutenberg

Now it was plain enough, and began swelling from a purring rattle to the crescendo of an approaching wind storm.

From Project Gutenberg

As the drum began to beat the tattoo and the bugle to rise on a crescendo of lovely notes, soldiers swarmed toward the barracks.

From Project Gutenberg

The usual cry is a crescendo ku-il, ku-il, ku-il, which to Indian ears is very sweet-sounding.

From Project Gutenberg

And it is a mutual crescendo between the 'perfidious Seckendorf' and them; without work done.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• escalation
• upsurge