Crescendo vs. Swell

Crescendonoun

(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.

Swellverb

(intransitive) To become bigger, especially due to being engorged.

Crescendonoun

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

‘Their fighting rose in a fearsome crescendo.’;

Swellverb

(transitive) To cause to become bigger.

‘Rains and dissolving snow swell the rivers in spring.’;

Crescendonoun

The climax of a gradual increase.

‘Their arguing rose to a fearsome crescendo.’;

Swellverb

(intransitive) To grow gradually in force or loudness.

‘The organ music swelled.’;

Crescendoverb

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

‘The band crescendoed and then suddenly went silent.’;

Swellverb

(transitive) To raise to arrogance; to puff up; to inflate.

‘to be swelled with pride or haughtiness’;

Crescendoadverb

(music) Gradually increasing in force or loudness.

Swellverb

(intransitive) To be raised to arrogance.

Crescendoadjective

With a constantly increasing volume of voice; with gradually increasing strength and fullness of tone; - a direction for the performance of music, indicated by the mark, or by writing the word on the score.

Swellverb

To be elated; to rise arrogantly.

Crescendonoun

A gradual increase in the strength and fullness of tone with which a passage is performed.

Swellverb

To be turgid, bombastic, or extravagant.

‘swelling words’; ‘a swelling style’;

Crescendonoun

(music) a gradual increase in loudness

Swellverb

To protuberate; to bulge out.

‘A cask swells in the middle.’;

Crescendoverb

grow louder;

‘The music crescendoes here’;

Swellnoun

The act of swelling; increase in size.

Crescendoadjective

gradually increasing in volume

Swellnoun

A bulge or protuberance.

Swellnoun

Increase of power in style, or of rhetorical force.

Swellnoun

A long series of ocean waves, generally produced by wind, and lasting after the wind has ceased.

Swellnoun

(music) A gradual crescendo followed by diminuendo.

Swellnoun

(music) A device for controlling the volume of a pipe organ.

Swellnoun

(music) A division in a pipe organ, usually the largest enclosed division.

Swellnoun

A hillock or similar raised area of terrain.

Swellnoun

(geology) An upward protrusion of strata from whose central region the beds dip quaquaversally at a low angle.

Swellnoun

A person who dresses in a fancy or elegant manner.

Swellnoun

(informal) A person of high social standing; an important person.

Swelladjective

(dated) Fashionable, like a swell or dandy.

Swelladjective

Excellent.

Swelladverb

Very well.

Swellverb

To grow larger; to dilate or extend the exterior surface or dimensions, by matter added within, or by expansion of the inclosed substance; as, the legs swell in dropsy; a bruised part swells; a bladder swells by inflation.

Swellverb

To increase in size or extent by any addition; to increase in volume or force; as, a river swells, and overflows its banks; sounds swell or diminish.

Swellverb

To rise or be driven into waves or billows; to heave; as, in tempest, the ocean swells into waves.

Swellverb

To be puffed up or bloated; as, to swell with pride.

‘You swell at the tartan, as the bull is said to do at scarlet.’;

Swellverb

To be inflated; to belly; as, the sails swell.

Swellverb

To be turgid, bombastic, or extravagant; as, swelling words; a swelling style.

Swellverb

To protuberate; to bulge out; as, a cask swells in the middle.

Swellverb

To be elated; to rise arrogantly.

‘Your equal mind yet swells not into state.’;

Swellverb

To grow upon the view; to become larger; to expand.

Swellverb

To become larger in amount; as, many little debts added, swell to a great amount.

Swellverb

To act in a pompous, ostentatious, or arrogant manner; to strut; to look big.

‘Here he comes, swelling like a turkey cock.’;

Swellverb

To increase the size, bulk, or dimensions of; to cause to rise, dilate, or increase; as, rains and dissolving snow swell the rivers in spring; immigration swells the population.

‘[The Church] swells her high, heart-cheering tone.’;

Swellverb

To aggravate; to heighten.

‘It is low ebb with his accuser when such peccadilloes are put to swell the charge.’;

Swellverb

To raise to arrogance; to puff up; to inflate; as, to be swelled with pride or haughtiness.

Swellverb

To augment gradually in force or loudness, as the sound of a note.

Swellnoun

The act of swelling.

Swellnoun

Gradual increase.

‘Little River affords navigation during a swell to within three miles of the Miami.’;

Swellnoun

Increase of force, intensity, or volume of sound.

‘Music arose with its voluptuous swell.’;

Swellnoun

A gradual ascent, or rounded elevation, of land; as, an extensive plain abounding with little swells.

Swellnoun

Increase of power in style, or of rhetorical force.

‘The swell and subsidence of his periods.’;

Swellnoun

A wave, or billow; especially, a succession of large waves; the roll of the sea after a storm; as, a heavy swell sets into the harbor.

‘The swellOf the long waves that roll in yonder bay.’; ‘The gigantic swells and billows of the snow.’;

Swellnoun

A gradual increase and decrease of the volume of sound; the crescendo and diminuendo combined; - generally indicated by the sign.

Swellnoun

A showy, dashing person; a dandy.

Swelladjective

Having the characteristics of a person of rank and importance; showy; dandified; distinguished; as, a swell person; a swell neighborhood.

Swellnoun

the undulating movement of the surface of the open sea

Swellnoun

a rounded elevation (especially one on an ocean floor)

Swellnoun

a crescendo followed by a decrescendo

Swellnoun

a man who is much concerned with his dress and appearance

Swellverb

increase in size, magnitude, number, or intensity;

‘The music swelled to a crescendo’;

Swellverb

become filled with pride, arrogance, or anger;

‘The mother was swelling with importance when she spoke of her son’;

Swellverb

expand abnormally;

‘The bellies of the starving children are swelling’;

Swellverb

as of feelings and thoughts, or other ephemeral things;

‘Strong emotions welled up’; ‘Smoke swelled from it’;

Swellverb

come up;

‘Tears well in her eyes’;

Swellverb

cause to become swollen;

‘The water swells the wood’;

Swelladjective

very good;

‘he did a bully job’; ‘a neat sports car’; ‘had a great time at the party’; ‘you look simply smashing’;