crescendo

1 of 2

noun

cre·​scen·​do krə-ˈshen-(ˌ)dō How to pronounce crescendo (audio)
plural crescendos also crescendoes or crescendi krə-ˈshen-dē How to pronounce crescendo (audio)
Synonyms of crescendo
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 …—DownBeat
2
: a crescendo musical passage
crescendo intransitive verb

Illustration of crescendo

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 of crescendo

Relevance

Noun

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Curtis’ discomfort, and ours, builds to a tense crescendo during Digger’s bombastic speech in front of the European Parliament. — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 7 Oct. 2026 This is all played out as the January 6th Capitol riots are taking place, as well as other events that will bring this all to a crescendo. — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026 Cameron’s troubled youth reached a crescendo when he was sentenced to five years in federal prison for drug smuggling, with an additional sentence for drug possession in prison — serving seven years in the end. — Maddie Connors, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026 Each bite is deliberately composed with the rhythm and crescendo of a piece of music, a reflection of Tim Cushman’s background as a musician, resulting in sushi that feels deeply considered but also playful. — Todd Plummer, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for crescendo

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of crescendo was in 1775

Rhymes for crescendo

See All Rhymes for crescendo

Browse Nearby Words

cresc
crescendo
crescendo pedal
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Crescendo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crescendo. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

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
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of deportment

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Why do we call it a 'flea market'?
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All