crescendo

noun cre·scen·do \ krə-ˈshen-(ˌ)dō \

Definition of crescendo

plural crescendos also crescendoes or crescendi play \krə-ˈshen-dē\

1 a :a gradual increase

a crescendo of excitement

; specifically :a gradual increase in volume of a musical passage

b :the peak of a gradual increase :climax

… complaints about stifling smog conditions reach a crescendo …
—Down Beat

2 :a crescendo musical passage

—

crescendo

intransitive verb

See crescendo defined for English-language learners

See crescendo defined for kids

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

Their croaking usually begins just before sundown and continues until its crescendo around the crowing of the early morning, 3:00 am rooster.

— jefferson county cooperative extension, AL.com, "Danger follows the buzz of summer (Garden Talk)," 18 July 2017
Rather than building toward chaotic, clamoring crescendos, the songs focus more on catchy riffs, harmonies and infectious hooks.

— special to the oregonian, OregonLive.com, "Portland's Portugal The Man is finally big enough to be called a sellout," 14 July 2017
The nearly 9-month fight culminated in a crescendo of devastation _ the blasting of the historic Old City to root out the militants’ final pockets.

— Washington Post, "AP PHOTOS: Drone captures Mosul’s destruction from above," 14 July 2017
The crescendo of their contentious relationship came in September 2016, when the two shared a visibly terse meeting on the sidelines of the G20 in Hanghzhou, China.

— kevin liptak, CNN, "Five things to watch for during Trump's meeting with Putin," 7 July 2017
Seconds later, the noise had built to a crescendo and the cheering and chants were deafening.

— rob tornoe, Philly.com, "Longtime ESPN announcer Dan Shulman leaving 'Sunday Night Baseball'," 4 July 2017
John’s signature songwriting style — start quiet with piano, then sweep to a high-note crescendo — can be heard in many of the numbers.

— pam kragen, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Actors' chemistry heats up Moonlight's 'Aida'," 15 June 2017
Because this team, on 16-game winning streak, has been steadily reaching a crescendo.

— ron higgins, NOLA.com, "Getting to Omaha is good for LSU, but hanging around is better," 13 June 2017
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.

— erik schelzig, The Seattle Times, "‘Epic week’: Hockey, country music collide in Nashville," 9 June 2017

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1775

See Words from the same year

crescendo Synonyms

Synonyms

acme, apex, apogee, capstone, climax, height, crest, crown, culmination, head, high noon, high tide, high-water mark, meridian, ne plus ultra, noon, noontime, peak, pinnacle, sum, summit, tip-top, top, zenith

Antonyms

bottom, nadir, rock bottom

Related Words

bloom, blossom, flood tide, flower, glory, heyday, prime; cap, ceiling, roof; extreme, extremity, tip, vertex; high, highlight, highspot

Near Antonyms

abyss, base, foot; minimum

Other Music Terms

cacophony, chorister, concerto, counterpoint, madrigal, obbligato, presto, refrain, riff, segue

crescendo

adverb or adjective

Definition of crescendo

:with an increase in volume —used as a direction in music

Origin and Etymology of crescendo

see ¹crescendo

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1807

See Words from the same year

Other Music Terms

cacophony, chorister, concerto, counterpoint, madrigal, obbligato, presto, refrain, riff, segue

CRESCENDO Defined for English Language Learners

crescendo

noun

Definition of crescendo for English Language Learners

: a gradual increase in the loudness of a sound or section of music
: the highest or loudest point of something that increases gradually

CRESCENDO Defined for Kids

crescendo

noun cre·scen·do \ kri-ˈshen-dō \

Definition of crescendo for Students

plural 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.