diminuendo

[ dih-min-yoo-en-doh ]
See synonyms for diminuendo on Thesaurus.com
adjective, adverb
  1. gradually reducing in force or loudness; decrescendo (opposed to crescendo).

noun,plural di·min·u·en·does.
  1. a gradual reduction of force or loudness.

  2. a diminuendo passage. Symbol:>

Origin of diminuendo

1
1765–75; <Italian, present participle of diminuire;see diminish

Words Nearby diminuendo

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use diminuendo in a sentence

  • He could be heard fumbling with the reins at the gate, and then the sound of hoofs came in diminuendo as he rode away.

    Mystery Ranch | Arthur Chapman
  • The office people gave it to me, and never do I look but with a shiver at this dumb record in diminuendo of agony and sacrifice.

    Careers of Danger and Daring | Cleveland Moffett
  • He used to suggest a diminuendo by crouching down more and more, and at a pianissimo he would almost creep under the desk.

  • The sonorous tones of the Chinese gong, manipulated with so cunning a crescendo and diminuendo by Lind, boomed through the house.

    Arundel | Edward Frederic Benson
  • The sound did not die away entirely in its slow diminuendo until the mules had passed the range six miles to the west.

    The Awakening of the Desert | Julius C. Birge

British Dictionary definitions for diminuendo

diminuendo

/ (dɪˌmɪnjʊˈɛndəʊ) music /


nounplural -dos
    • a gradual decrease in loudness or the musical direction indicating this: Abbreviation: dim, (written over the music affected)

    • a musical passage affected by a diminuendo

adjective
  1. gradually decreasing in loudness

  2. with a diminuendo

Origin of diminuendo

1
C18: from Italian, from diminuire to diminish
  • Also: decrescendo

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012