Crescendo vs. Swell — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Crescendo and Swell
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Definitions
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).
Swell➦
To grow in loudness or intensity
"The din in front swelled to a tremendous chorus" (Stephen Crane).
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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.
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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