Illustration of crescendo
- mark indicating crescendo 2
crescendo
1 of 2noun
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
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
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
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 Orlando Mayorquin, USA TODAY, 24 Aug. 2022 The hype surrounding the women’s gymnastics competition has been steadily building for months and hit a crescendo Sunday during the qualifying events. Los Angeles Times, 27 July 2021 Jones has been part of the program during a crescendo and rapid flop. Tyler Tachman, The Indianapolis Star, 1 Sep. 2022 Each sip marked a step in the professor’s crescendo: his performance began with general observations, hesitant but sound, and then veered off into loquacious digressions that dispersed in all directions. Alejandro Zambra, The New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2022 Her oratory rose and fell in cycles, then climbed to a final crescendo. Kevin Lee, The New Republic, 8 Aug. 2022 Her effortless ability to rise to crescendo anchors the track. Deasia Paige, ELLE, 2 Aug. 2022 Ben Roters delivers the lyrics with a languid flair, that builds to a euphoric crescendo at the chorus evocative of the blissful — and deeply intimate — moments shared with a lover. Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, 1 Aug. 2022 The summer hits a musical crescendo the week of July 31 through Aug. 6 with whole festivals of blues bands, reggae bands, Beatles tribute bands and jazz bands. Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 29 July 2022 See More
Noun
Her firing and feud with DeSantis hit a crescendo in December 2020, when state law enforcement officials raided her Tallahassee, Florida, home to execute a search warrant. Orlando Mayorquin, USA TODAY, 24 Aug. 2022 The hype surrounding the women’s gymnastics competition has been steadily building for months and hit a crescendo Sunday during the qualifying events. Los Angeles Times, 27 July 2021 Jones has been part of the program during a crescendo and rapid flop. Tyler Tachman, The Indianapolis Star, 1 Sep. 2022 Each sip marked a step in the professor’s crescendo: his performance began with general observations, hesitant but sound, and then veered off into loquacious digressions that dispersed in all directions. Alejandro Zambra, The New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2022 Her oratory rose and fell in cycles, then climbed to a final crescendo. Kevin Lee, The New Republic, 8 Aug. 2022 Her effortless ability to rise to crescendo anchors the track. Deasia Paige, ELLE, 2 Aug. 2022 Ben Roters delivers the lyrics with a languid flair, that builds to a euphoric crescendo at the chorus evocative of the blissful — and deeply intimate — moments shared with a lover. Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, 1 Aug. 2022 The summer hits a musical crescendo the week of July 31 through Aug. 6 with whole festivals of blues bands, reggae bands, Beatles tribute bands and jazz bands. Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 29 July 2022 See More 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
: a gradual increase in the loudness of music
crescendoes
verb
as in peaks
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- peaks
- crests
- distends
- intensifies
- surges
- inflates
- heightens
- redoubles
- bulks
- swells
- puffs (up)
- rockets
- rises
- jumps
- skyrockets
- escalates
- booms
- increases
- blows up
- climbs
- proliferates
- accelerates
- snowballs
- burgeons
- mushrooms
- balloons
- waxes
- mounts
- rolls up
- bourgeons
- accumulates
- expands
- builds up
- enlarges
- multiplies
- gains
- spreads
- appreciates
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- decreases
- recedes
- diminishes
- wanes
- contracts
- lessens
- dwindles