decrescendo.

A gradual reduction in the loudness of music or sound.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• long decrescendo
• decrescendo passage

On the page

A long decrescendo left the final note almost alone.

The decrescendo carried the orchestra beneath the sound of the rain.

Usage notes

Primary category: sensory / description. Forms: Singular decrescendo; plural decrescendos or decrescendi. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings.