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crescendo

Syllabification: (cre·scen·do)
Pronunciation: /krəˈSHendō/

Translate crescendo | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of crescendo

noun

  • (plural crescendos or crescendi /-dē/) Music a gradual increase in loudness in a piece of music.
  • Music a passage of music marked to be performed with a gradual increase of loudness.
  • the loudest point reached in a gradually increasing sound:Debra’s voice was rising to a crescendo
  • a progressive increase in force or intensity:a crescendo of misery
  • the most intense point reached in this; a climax:the negative reviews reached a crescendo in mid-February

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'

Spell crescendo with -sc- in the middle.

crescendo in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of crescendo in the British & World English dictionary

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