crescendo

1 of 2

noun

cre·​scen·​do krə-ˈshen-(ˌ)dō 

plural crescendos also crescendoes or crescendi 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

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

Synonyms

Noun

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

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

Noun

Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna applauds the fans (Alex Broadway/Getty Images) This would be the zenith, a crescendo of noise. —George Caulkin, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025

This Sunday is the fifth anniversary of that crescendo of fear in the market, marking the low of a violent V-bottom that launched stocks to a 100% gain over the next 22 months. —Michael Santoli, CNBC, 22 Mar. 2025

Snow White even innovated the classic Disney strategy of keeping the hero’s hands clean by having the villain die accidentally, falling from a great height in the middle of a crescendo of evil laughter. —Constance Grady, Vox, 21 Mar. 2025

The crescendo came when Trump’s super PAC decided to go up with a television advertisement seizing on DeSantis’ eating habits, using a story that during a 2019 flight, DeSantis had downed pudding with his bare hands. —David Catanese, Miami Herald, 18 Mar. 2025

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

Rhymes for crescendo

• arguendo
• innuendo
• endo
• tendo

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