# crescendo
## English
### Alternative forms

* cres.
* cresc.

### Etymology

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

### Pronunciation

* (UK) IPA: /kɹɪˈʃɛn.dəʊ/, /kɹəˈʃɛn.dəʊ/
* (US) IPA: /kɹɪˈʃɛn.doʊ/, /kɹəˈʃɛn.doʊ/
* Audio (US):(file)
* Audio (General Australian):(file)
* Hyphenation: cres‧cen‧do

### Noun

crescendo (plural crescendos or crescendi or crescendoes)
* (music) An instruction to play gradually more loudly, denoted by a long, narrow angle with its apex on the left ( < ), by musicians called a hairpin.
* (figuratively) A gradual increase of anything, especially to a dramatic climax.
    Their fighting rose in a fearsome crescendo.
* (figuratively, nonstandard) The climax of a gradual increase.
    Their arguing rose to a fearsome crescendo.
** 2011 October 20, Michael da Silva, “Stoke 3 - 0 Macc Tel-Aviv”, in BBC Sport‎: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.

#### Usage notes

* The musical sense indicates that the figurative sense is an increase rather than the climax of the increase. The use of this word to mean the climax of an increase is nonstandard but commonplace.

#### Antonyms

* (antonym(s) of “music”): decrescendo, diminuendo
* (antonym(s) of “the climax of a gradual increase”): climax, conclusion

#### Translations

    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

### Verb

crescendo (third-person singular simple present crescendoes, present participle crescendoing, simple past and past participle crescendoed)
* To increase in intensity; to reach or head for a crescendo.
    The band crescendoed and then suddenly went silent.
** 2021 November 1, Haley Nahman, “I got a camera to spy on my cat – and it made me question everything about myself”, in The Guardian‎: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.

### Adverb

crescendo (not comparable)
* (music) Gradually increasing in force or loudness.

### Anagrams

* conceders

## Czech
### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ˈkrɛʃɛndo]

### Noun

crescendo n
* (music) crescendo

#### Declension
### Further reading

* “crescendo”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
* “crescendo”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
* “crescendo”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech), 2008–2025

## Finnish
### Etymology

From Italian crescendo.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈkreʃendo/, [ˈkre̞ʃe̞ndo̞]
* Rhymes: -eʃendo

### Noun

crescendo
* crescendo (instruction to play gradually more loudly)
* (rare) crescendo (gradual increase, especially to a dramatic climax)

#### Declension

Possessive forms of crescendo (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation) :
first-person singular possessor
singular
plural
nominative
crescendoni
crescendoni
accusative
nom.
crescendoni
crescendoni
gen.
crescendoni
genitive
crescendoni
crescendojeni
partitive
crescendoani
crescendojani
inessive
crescendossani
crescendoissani
elative
crescendostani
crescendoistani
illative
crescendooni
crescendoihini
adessive
crescendollani
crescendoillani
ablative
crescendoltani
crescendoiltani
allative
crescendolleni
crescendoilleni
essive
crescendonani
crescendoinani
translative
crescendokseni
crescendoikseni
abessive
crescendottani
crescendoittani
instructive
comitative
—crescendoineni
second-person singular possessor
singular
plural
nominative
crescendosi
crescendosi
accusative
nom.
crescendosi
crescendosi
gen.
crescendosi
genitive
crescendosi
crescendojesi
partitive
crescendoasi
crescendojasi
inessive
crescendossasi
crescendoissasi
elative
crescendostasi
crescendoistasi
illative
crescendoosi
crescendoihisi
adessive
crescendollasi
crescendoillasi
ablative
crescendoltasi
crescendoiltasi
allative
crescendollesi
crescendoillesi
essive
crescendonasi
crescendoinasi
translative
crescendoksesi
crescendoiksesi
abessive
crescendottasi
crescendoittasi
instructive
comitative
—crescendoinesi
first-person plural possessor
singular
plural
nominative
crescendomme
crescendomme
accusative
nom.
crescendomme
crescendomme
gen.
crescendomme
genitive
crescendomme
crescendojemme
partitive
crescendoamme
crescendojamme
inessive
crescendossamme
crescendoissamme
elative
crescendostamme
crescendoistamme
illative
crescendoomme
crescendoihimme
adessive
crescendollamme
crescendoillamme
ablative
crescendoltamme
crescendoiltamme
allative
crescendollemme
crescendoillemme
essive
crescendonamme
crescendoinamme
translative
crescendoksemme
crescendoiksemme
abessive
crescendottamme
crescendoittamme
instructive
comitative
—crescendoinemme
second-person plural possessor
singular
plural
nominative
crescendonne
crescendonne
accusative
nom.
crescendonne
crescendonne
gen.
crescendonne
genitive
crescendonne
crescendojenne
partitive
crescendoanne
crescendojanne
inessive
crescendossanne
crescendoissanne
elative
crescendostanne
crescendoistanne
illative
crescendoonne
crescendoihinne
adessive
crescendollanne
crescendoillanne
ablative
crescendoltanne
crescendoiltanne
allative
crescendollenne
crescendoillenne
essive
crescendonanne
crescendoinanne
translative
crescendoksenne
crescendoiksenne
abessive
crescendottanne
crescendoittanne
instructive
comitative
—crescendoinenne
third-person possessor
singular
plural
nominative
crescendonsa
crescendonsa
accusative
nom.
crescendonsa
crescendonsa
gen.
crescendonsa
genitive
crescendonsa
crescendojensa
partitive
crescendoaan crescendoansa
crescendojaan crescendojansa
inessive
crescendossaan crescendossansa
crescendoissaan crescendoissansa
elative
crescendostaan crescendostansa
crescendoistaan crescendoistansa
illative
crescendoonsa
crescendoihinsa
adessive
crescendollaan crescendollansa
crescendoillaan crescendoillansa
ablative
crescendoltaan crescendoltansa
crescendoiltaan crescendoiltansa
allative
crescendolleen crescendollensa
crescendoilleen crescendoillensa
essive
crescendonaan crescendonansa
crescendoinaan crescendoinansa
translative
crescendokseen crescendoksensa
crescendoikseen crescendoiksensa
abessive
crescendottaan crescendottansa
crescendoittaan crescendoittansa
instructive
comitative
—crescendoineen crescendoinensa :

### Further reading

* “crescendo”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎ (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-02

## French
### Etymology

Borrowed from Italian crescendo.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /kʁe.ʃɛn.do/, (less common) /kʁɛ.ʃɛn.do/
* Audio:(file)
* Audio (Canada):(file)

### Adverb

crescendo
* (music) crescendo

### Noun

crescendo m (plural crescendos)
* (music) crescendo
* (figurative) gradual increase, crescendo
    un crescendo de difficulté ― a crescendo of difficulty

### Further reading

* “crescendo”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

## Indonesian
### Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from Italian crescendo, from Latin crēscendum (“increasing, growing”), gerund of crēscō.

### Adverb

crescendo
* (music) crescendo: An instruction to play gradually more loudly, denoted by a long, narrow angle with its apex on the left ( < ).

### Further reading

* “crescendo” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.

## Italian
### Etymology

From Latin crēscendum (“increasing, growing”), gerund of crēscō.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /kreʃˈʃɛn.do/
* Rhymes: -ɛndo
* Hyphenation: cre‧scèn‧do

### Verb

crescendo
* gerund of crescere

### Noun

crescendo m (invariable)
* (music) crescendo (instruction to play gradually more loudly)
* (figurative) crescendo (gradual increase)

#### Descendants

* → English: crescendo
* → Spanish: crescendo

### Further reading

* crescendo in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

## Latin
### Pronunciation

* (Classical Latin) IPA: /kreːsˈken.doː/, [kreːs̠ˈkɛn̪d̪oː]
* (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA: /kreʃˈʃen.do/, [kreʃˈʃɛn̪d̪o]

### Participle

crēscendō
* dative/ablative masculine/neuter singular of crēscendus

## Polish
### Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from Italian crescendo.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /krɛˈʂɛn.dɔ/
* Rhymes: -ɛndɔ
* Syllabification: cre‧scen‧do

### Noun

crescendo n (indeclinable)
* (music) crescendo (instruction to play gradually more loudly, denoted by a long, narrow angle with its apex on the left ( < ), by musicians called a hairpin)
    Antonyms: decrescendo, diminuendo
* (figurative) crescendo (gradual increase of anything, especially to a dramatic climax)
    Antonyms: decrescendo, diminuendo

#### Declension

or
Indeclinable.

### Adverb

crescendo (not comparable)
* (music) crescendo (gradually increasing in force or loudness)
    Antonyms: decrescendo, diminuendo
* (figurative) crescendo (gradually increasing in force or intensity)
    Antonyms: decrescendo, diminuendo

### Further reading

* crescendo I in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
* crescendo II in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
* crescendo in Polish dictionaries at PWN
* crescendo in PWN's encyclopedia

## Portuguese
### Pronunciation

* (Portugal) IPA: (careful pronunciation) /kɾɨʃˈsẽ.du/, /kɾɨˈʃẽ.du/

### Noun

crescendo m (plural crescendos)
* (music) crescendo (music to be play gradually more loudly)

### Verb

crescendo
* gerund of crescer; "growing"

## Romanian
### Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from Italian crescendo.

### Adverb

crescendo
* crescendo

### Noun

crescendo n (plural crescendouri)
* crescendo

#### Declension
## Spanish
### Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from Italian crescendo.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /kɾeʃenˌdo} | ˈ{es pɾ/ [kɾe.ʃẽn̪ˌd̪o} | ˈ{es pɾ]
* IPA: /kɾeˈt͡ʃendo/ [kɾeˈt͡ʃẽn̪.d̪o]
** Rhymes: -endo

### Noun

crescendo m (plural crescendos)
* crescendo

#### Usage notes

According to Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) prescriptions, unadapted foreign words should be written in italics in a text printed in roman type, and vice versa, and in quotation marks in a manuscript text or when italics are not available. In practice, this RAE prescription is not always followed.

#### Derived terms

* in crescendo

### Further reading

* “crescendo”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10

## Swedish
### Noun

crescendo n
* (music) crescendo