Illustration of crescendo
- mark indicating crescendo 2
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
Down Beat2
: a crescendo musical passage
crescendo
intransitive verb
crescendo
2 of 2adverb or adjective
: with an increase in volume
—used as a direction in music
Synonyms
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
David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Aug. 2024
Sadly this year’s Nov. 17-18 crescendo of shooting-star activity occurs just days after the full moon.
—Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 1 Nov. 2024
The crescendo is the sandstone Hickman Bridge, 125 feet tall and 133 feet across.
—Graham Averill, Outside Online, 28 Oct. 2024
Snoop was forced to speak up after the social media outrage reached a crescendo, and in doing so, brought even more attention to King Ice.
—Lilian Raji, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024
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Noun
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
Sadly this year’s Nov. 17-18 crescendo of shooting-star activity occurs just days after the full moon.
—Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 1 Nov. 2024
The crescendo is the sandstone Hickman Bridge, 125 feet tall and 133 feet across.
—Graham Averill, Outside Online, 28 Oct. 2024
Snoop was forced to speak up after the social media outrage reached a crescendo, and in doing so, brought even more attention to King Ice.
—Lilian Raji, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for crescendo
Articles Related to crescendo
Dictionary Entries Near crescendo
Cite this Entry
“Crescendo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crescendo. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
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