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crescendo

Pronunciation: /krɪˈʃɛndəʊ/
Translate crescendo | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of crescendo

noun

  • 1 (plural crescendos or crescendi /-di/) Music a gradual increase in loudness in a piece of music: each time the key changes, there is a gradual crescendo
  • Music a passage of music marked or performed with a crescendo.
  • the loudest point reached in a gradually increasing sound:the port engine revs rose to a crescendo
  • 2a progressive increase in intensity:a crescendo of misery
  • the most intense point reached:the hysteria reached a crescendo around the spring festival

adverb & adjective

Music
  • with a gradual increase in loudness: [as adjective]:a short crescendo kettledrum roll

verb (crescendoes, crescendoing, crescendoed)

[no object]
  • increase in loudness or intensity:the reluctant cheers began to crescendo

Origin:

late 18th century: Italian, present participle of crescere 'to increase', from Latin crescere 'grow'

Spelling help

Spell crescendo with -sc- in the middle.

crescendo in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of crescendo in the US English dictionary

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