Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

crescendo

/kɹɪˈʃɛn.doʊ/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.83 in modern English

Syllables: cres-cen-do
IPA: /kɹɪˈʃɛn.doʊ/

14

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

3

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

An instruction to play gradually more loudly, denoted by a long, narrow angle with its apex on the left ( < ), by musicians called a hairpin.

noun

A gradual increase of anything, especially to a dramatic climax.

noun

The climax of a gradual increase.

verb

To increase in intensity; to reach or head for a crescendo.

adv

Gradually increasing in force or loudness.

Example Sentences

"As he came into the window / It was the sound of a crescendo"
"Their fighting rose in a fearsome crescendo."
"Their arguing rose to a fearsome crescendo."
"With the Stoke supporters jeering Ziv's every subsequent touch, the pantomime atmosphere created by the home crowd reached a crescendo when Ziv was shown a straight red shortly after the break in extraordinary circumstances."
"The band crescendoed and then suddenly went silent."
"And similarly, they are full of tricks: when the imagined stranger calls your name, the music crescendos romantically; when the video freezes on your laugh, it immediately desaturates the candid photo, making you look old-timey or famous or dead."

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian crescendo, gerund of crescere (“to grow, to increase”).

Word Breakdown

Root: *ḱer- (grow)

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /kɹɪˈʃɛn.doʊ/
British English: /kɹɪˈʃɛn.dəʊ/

Inflected Forms

crescendos (plural) crescendi (plural) crescendoes (plural) cres. (alternative) cresc. (alternative) crescendoes (present, singular) crescendos (present, singular) crescendoing (participle, present) crescendoed (participle, past) crescendoed (past)

Phrases

Brelian crescendo

Synonyms

amplification ascension boost gain growth increase loudening spike surge upsurge

Antonyms

decrescendo diminuendo climax conclusion decrease fall

Rhymes With

nintendo innuendo endo oquendo caliendo

Questions

How do you pronounce crescendo?: The recorded pronunciation is /kɹɪˈʃɛn.doʊ/.
What does crescendo mean?: An instruction to play gradually more loudly, denoted by a long, narrow angle with its apex on the left ( < ), by musicians called a hairpin.
Where does crescendo come from?: Borrowed from Italian crescendo, gerund of crescere (“to grow, to increase”).

How to pronounce crescendo

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “crescendo”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/kɹɪˈʃɛn.doʊ/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “crescendo”.
Repeat and practice — Say “crescendo” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.