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

Modi seeks advice from his art dealer and friend, Leopold Zborowski — however, after a night of hallucinations, the chaos in Modi’s mind reaches a crescendo when faced with an American collector, Maurice Gangnat, who has the power to change his life. —Zac Ntim, Deadline, 24 Sep. 2024

The tempest crescendos and subsides, and Bad Bunny ends the song with a helium-high voice expressing hope for the sun to rise. —Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 20 Sep. 2024

For any artist, an album release resembles a crescendo—weeks of intense marketing, parties, meet-and-greets, and long press days. —Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 31 July 2024

Interest among distributors reached a crescendo after the film premiered at — and blew the roof off of — the recent Venice and Telluride film festivals, generating comparisons to past best picture Oscar winners Argo and Spotlight. —Scott Feinberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Sep. 2024

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

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