crescendo
/krɪˈʃɛndəʊ
/noun
1 (plural crescendos or crescendi /krɪˈʃɛndi/) Music A gradual increase in loudness in a piece of music: each time the key changes, there is a gradual crescendo...
- The second is a three-part lullaby and the finale a moto perpetuo in gradual crescendo.
- As Sora walked further down the hall, the redhead's sensitive ears picked up a gradual crescendo of a beautifully played piano.
- Instead, it had more of a gradual crescendo, a spirit to it that demanded a faster movement.
1.1 Music A passage of music marked or performed with a crescendo.The musical phraseology was convincing, and the crescendos and decrescendos were accurately measured and performed....
- The final crescendo was stunningly articulated!
- As crescendo after crescendo uplifts the piece, the group becomes more and more abrasive and unforgiving.
1.2The loudest point reached in a gradually increasing sound: the port engine revs rose to a crescendo...
- A great babble of voices all rose to a crescendo of sound that could only be the prelude to panic.
- Excited chattering rose to a crescendo in the auditorium as the sound of the fast-moving convoy fell upon the ears of those at the back of the crowd.
- Comedy sound effects come to a crescendo as the abused machine finally collapses in a heap of scrap metal.
2A progressive increase in intensity: a crescendo of misery...
- It was a fitting crescendo to a remarkable exhibition.
- What followed was a rising crescendo in which he saw glorious opportunities for the future, the future in particular of left-of-centre politics.
- Although many speakers struck bland notes individually, together these became a crescendo of shared concern.
2.1The most intense point reached: the hysteria reached a crescendo around the spring festival...
- In early April, this propaganda campaign reached a crescendo.
- As the vocal chords stretched, the cheering reached a crescendo.
- But the excitement reached a crescendo when the dance floor was thrown open.
adverb & adjective Music
With a gradual increase in loudness: [as adjective]: a short crescendo kettledrum roll...
- Each goal is honoured with the crescendo beat of drums and the noise is increased by the cheers of the successful party.
- Reversing the crescendo pattern used by so many instrumental bands, the song begins with booming drums and layers of distorted bass, high-end guitars, and uplifting piano.
verb (crescendoes, crescendoing, crescendoed) [no object]
Increase in loudness or intensity: the reluctant cheers began to crescendo...
- More laughter from the audience, which crescendoed as Kelly began actually discussing the things, in terms of their visual history and morphology.
- It's also there in the way he ends notes in the verses, crescendoing and pitching up and then choking them off suddenly, cutting the sound short.
- Soon, the faint pitter-patter crescendoed into the staccato of heavy drops falling on Heinrich's poncho.
Origin
Late 18th century: Italian, present participle of crescere 'to increase', from Latin crescere 'grow'.