accelerando
1 of 2adverb or adjective
ac·ce·le·ran·do
(ˌ)ä-ˌche-lə-ˈrän-(ˌ)dō 
ik-ˌse-,
(ˌ)ak-
: gradually faster
—used as a direction in music
Examples of accelerando in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Zachary Lewis, cleveland.com, 23 Oct. 2017
Michelle Naughton was a fantastic accompanist, making the most of a minimal part, effortlessly navigating the accelerandos and ritards, always right there with Petrova.
—Christian Hertzog, sandiegouniontribune.com, 9 Aug. 2017
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
Dorman's measured accelerando in the coda sealed the deal on an outstanding performance.
—Zachary Lewis, cleveland.com, 23 Oct. 2017
Michelle Naughton was a fantastic accompanist, making the most of a minimal part, effortlessly navigating the accelerandos and ritards, always right there with Petrova.
—Christian Hertzog, sandiegouniontribune.com, 9 Aug. 2017
Cite this Entry
“Accelerando.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accelerando. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share