crescendo

1 of 2

noun

cre·​scen·​do krə-ˈshen-(ˌ)dō How to pronounce crescendo (audio)
plural crescendos also crescendoes or crescendi krə-ˈshen-dē How to pronounce crescendo (audio)
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 crescendoDown Beat
2
: a crescendo musical passage
crescendo intransitive verb

Illustration of crescendo

Illustration of crescendo
  • mark indicating crescendo 2

crescendo

2 of 2

adverb or adjective

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

Examples of crescendo in a Sentence

Noun The noise rose to a crescendo. excitement in the auditorium slowly built up and reached its crescendo when the star walked on stage
Recent Examples on the Web
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
Apple Black Friday iPhone and iPad The Thanksgiving holiday is here, and the wave of Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers is reaching a crescendo. Ewan Spence, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2024 The screams eventually reach a crescendo, as video shows the shrieks getting gradually louder and louder until the group stopped. Andrea Margolis, Fox News, 28 Nov. 2024 At inflation’s crescendo in 2021-22, affordability slumped when wages did not keep pace. Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2024 The taste Alvarez showed in his Evil Dead remake and Don’t Breathe for third-act crescendos featuring rampaging abominations and nutty reveals is again in evidence here. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for crescendo 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

borrowed from Italian, noun derivative of crescendo "increasing," gerund of crescere "to increase, grow," going back to Latin crēscere "to come into existence, increase in size or numbers" — more at crescent entry 1

Adverb or adjective

borrowed from Italian — more at crescendo entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1775, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adverb Or Adjective

1807, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of crescendo was in 1775

Dictionary Entries Near crescendo

Cite this Entry

“Crescendo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crescendo. Accessed 8 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

crescendo

noun
cre·​scen·​do
kri-ˈshen-dō
plural crescendos or crescendoes
1
: a gradual increase especially in the loudness of music
2
: the peak of a gradual increase
crescendo adverb or adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on crescendo

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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