English Explanatory Dictionary

crescendo

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. An instruction to play gradually more loudly, denoted by a long, narrow angle with its apex on the left ( < ), by musicians called a hairpin.
  2. A gradual increase of anything, especially to a dramatic climax.
  3. The climax of a gradual increase.
verb
  1. To increase in intensity; to reach or head for a crescendo.
adv
  1. Gradually increasing in force or loudness.

Pronunciation

/kɹɪˈʃɛn.dəʊ/ /kɹəˈʃɛn.dəʊ/ /kɹɪˈʃɛn.doʊ/ /kɹəˈʃɛn.doʊ/ en-us-crescendo.ogg en-au-crescendo.ogg

Word forms

crescendo crescendos crescendi crescendoes cres. cresc. crescendoing crescendoed

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian crescendo, gerund of crescere (“to grow, to increase”).

Synonyms

amplification ascension boost gain growth increase loudening spike surge upsurge

Antonyms

decrescendo diminuendo climax conclusion decrease fall
This entry uses open data from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA/GFDL). Word forms are used for search and are not indexed as separate pages.
Back to search All on C Russian dictionary Dahl dictionary