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Definition of crescendo
crescendos
alsocrescendoes
orcrescendi
play \krə-ˈshen-dē\1a : a gradual increase a crescendo of excitement; specifically : a gradual increase in volume of a musical passageb : the peak of a gradual increase : climax … complaints about stifling smog conditions reach a crescendo … — Down Beat
2 : a crescendo musical passage
crescendo
intransitive verbFrom the M-W Editors
Examples of crescendo in a Sentence
The noise rose to a crescendo.
their divorce was merely the formal crescendo of a long period of marital stress and estrangement
Recent Examples of crescendo from the Web
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Seconds later, the noise had built to a crescendo and the cheering and chants were deafening.
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John’s signature songwriting style — start quiet with piano, then sweep to a high-note crescendo — can be heard in many of the numbers.
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Because this team, on 16-game winning streak, has been steadily reaching a crescendo.
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Nashville Predators’ improbable run to the Stanley Cup Finals has blurred the dividing line between music and sports, a convergence that’s expected to hit a crescendo in Tennessee’s capital city this weekend.
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The Nashville Predators’ improbable run to the Stanley Cup Finals has blurred the dividing line between music and sports, a convergence that’s expected to hit a crescendo in Tennessee’s capital city this weekend.
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The result has been a crescendo of state violence against the backdrop of a humanitarian catastrophe.
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Horn calls peaked the enormous tutti crescendos, and Till approached his somber end with an insolent whistle from clarinet.
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The story’s crescendo might be a vulnerable detail revealed in the student’s writing, or sometimes a moment of connection, like the time my mentor-teacher and I, at lunch, asked a drug dealer to tell us about his life.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'crescendo'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Illustration of crescendo
Origin and Etymology of crescendo
Italian, from crescendo, adjective, increasing, gerund of crescere to grow, increase, from Latin
crescendo
Definition of crescendo
: with an increase in volume —used as a direction in music
Origin and Etymology of crescendo
see 1crescendo
CRESCENDO Defined for English Language Learners
crescendo
playDefinition of crescendo for English Language Learners
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: a gradual increase in the loudness of a sound or section of music
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: the highest or loudest point of something that increases gradually
CRESCENDO Defined for Kids
crescendo
playDefinition of crescendo for Students
crescendos
: a gradual increase in the loudness of music
Word Root of crescendo
The Latin word crēscere, meaning “to grow,” gives us the root cresc or cre. Words from the Latin crēscere have something to do with growing. To increase is to grow greater in size or amount. To decrease is to grow smaller in size or amount. A crescendo in music is when the volume slowly grows louder.
Learn More about crescendo
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for crescendo Spanish Central: Translation of crescendo Nglish: Translation of crescendo for Spanish speakers
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