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Crescendo vs. Swell — What's the Difference?

Crescendo vs. Swell — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Crescendo and Swell

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Crescendo

A gradual increase in the volume or intensity of sound in a passage.

Swell

To increase in size or volume as a result of internal pressure; expand.

Crescendo

A passage played with a gradual increase in volume or intensity.

Swell

To increase in force, size, number, or degree
Membership in the club swelled.

Crescendo

A steady increase in intensity or force
"insisted [that] all paragraphs ... should be structured as a crescendo rising to a climactic last sentence" (Henry A. Kissinger).
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Swell

To grow in loudness or intensity
"The din in front swelled to a tremendous chorus" (Stephen Crane).

Crescendo

Usage Problem The climactic point or moment after such a progression
"The attacks ... began in December ... and reached a crescendo during [the president's] September visit" (Foreign Affairs).

Swell

To bulge out, as a sail.

Crescendo

Gradually increasing in volume, force, or intensity.

Swell

To rise or extend above the surrounding level, as clouds.

Crescendo

With a crescendo.

Swell

To rise in swells, as the sea.

Crescendo

To build up to or reach a point of great intensity, force, or volume
"The designer-name craze crescendoed in the mid-seventies" (Bernice Kanner).

Swell

To be or become filled or puffed up, as with pride, arrogance, or anger.

Crescendo

(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.

Swell

To rise from within
Rage swelled within me.

Crescendo

(figuratively) A gradual increase of anything, especially to a dramatic climax.
Their fighting rose in a fearsome crescendo.

Swell

To cause to increase in volume, size, number, degree, or intensity
The governor's full public disclosure only swelled the chorus of protests.

Crescendo

The climax of a gradual increase.
Their arguing rose to a fearsome crescendo.

Swell

To fill with emotion.

Crescendo

To increase in intensity; to reach or head for a crescendo.
The band crescendoed and then suddenly went silent.

Swell

The act or process of swelling.

Crescendo

(music) Gradually increasing in force or loudness.

Swell

The condition of being swollen.

Crescendo

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.

Swell

A swollen part; a bulge or protuberance.

Crescendo

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

Swell

A long wave on water that moves continuously without breaking.

Crescendo

(music) a gradual increase in loudness

Swell

A rise in the land; a rounded elevation.

Crescendo

Grow louder;
The music crescendoes here

Swell

(Informal) One who is fashionably dressed or socially prominent
Society swells.

Crescendo

Gradually increasing in volume

Swell

A crescendo followed by a gradual diminuendo.

Swell

The sign indicating such a crescendo.

Swell

A device on an instrument, such as an organ or harpsichord, for regulating volume.

Swell

Fashionably elegant; stylish.

Swell

Excellent; wonderful
Had a swell time.

Swell

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

Swell

(transitive) To cause to become bigger.
Rains and dissolving snow swell the rivers in spring.

Swell

(intransitive) To grow gradually in force or loudness.
The organ music swelled.

Swell

(transitive) To cause to grow gradually in force or loudness.

Swell

(transitive) To raise to arrogance; to puff up; to inflate.
To be swelled with pride or haughtiness

Swell

(intransitive) To be raised to arrogance.

Swell

To be elated; to rise arrogantly.

Swell

To be turgid, bombastic, or extravagant.
Swelling words
A swelling style

Swell

To protuberate; to bulge out.
A cask swells in the middle.

Swell

The act of swelling; increase in size.

Swell

A bulge or protuberance.

Swell

Increase of power in style, or of rhetorical force.

Swell

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

Swell

(music) A gradual crescendo followed by diminuendo.

Swell

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

Swell

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

Swell

A hillock or similar raised area of terrain.

Swell

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

Swell

A person who is stylish, fancy, or elegant.

Swell

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

Swell

The front brow of a saddle bow, connected in the tree by the two saddle bars to the cantle on the other end.

Swell

(dated) Fashionable, like a swell or dandy.

Swell

Excellent.

Swell

Very well.

Swell

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.

Swell

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.

Swell

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

Swell

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.

Swell

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

Swell

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

Swell

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

Swell

To be elated; to rise arrogantly.
Your equal mind yet swells not into state.

Swell

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

Swell

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

Swell

To act in a pompous, ostentatious, or arrogant manner; to strut; to look big.
Here he comes, swelling like a turkey cock.

Swell

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.

Swell

To aggravate; to heighten.
It is low ebb with his accuser when such peccadilloes are put to swell the charge.

Swell

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

Swell

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

Swell

The act of swelling.

Swell

Gradual increase.
Little River affords navigation during a swell to within three miles of the Miami.

Swell

Increase of force, intensity, or volume of sound.
Music arose with its voluptuous swell.

Swell

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

Swell

Increase of power in style, or of rhetorical force.
The swell and subsidence of his periods.

Swell

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.

Swell

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

Swell

A showy, dashing person; a dandy.

Swell

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

Swell

The undulating movement of the surface of the open sea

Swell

A rounded elevation (especially one on an ocean floor)

Swell

A crescendo followed by a decrescendo

Swell

A man who is much concerned with his dress and appearance

Swell

Increase in size, magnitude, number, or intensity;
The music swelled to a crescendo

Swell

Become filled with pride, arrogance, or anger;
The mother was swelling with importance when she spoke of her son

Swell

Expand abnormally;
The bellies of the starving children are swelling

Swell

As of feelings and thoughts, or other ephemeral things;
Strong emotions welled up
Smoke swelled from it

Swell

Come up;
Tears well in her eyes

Swell

Cause to become swollen;
The water swells the wood

Swell

Very good;
He did a bully job
A neat sports car
Had a great time at the party
You look simply smashing

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