Crescendo vs. Swell — What's the Difference?

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

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

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

To increase in force, size, number, or degree

A steady increase in intensity or force

To grow in loudness or intensity

Usage Problem The climactic point or moment after such a progression

To bulge out, as a sail.

Gradually increasing in volume, force, or intensity.

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

With a crescendo.

To rise in swells, as the sea.

To build up to or reach a point of great intensity, force, or volume

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

(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.

To rise from within

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

To cause to increase in volume, size, number, degree, or intensity

The climax of a gradual increase.

To fill with emotion.

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

The act or process of swelling.

(music) Gradually increasing in force or loudness.

The condition of being swollen.

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.

A swollen part; a bulge or protuberance.

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

A long wave on water that moves continuously without breaking.

(music) a gradual increase in loudness

A rise in the land; a rounded elevation.

Grow louder;

(Informal) One who is fashionably dressed or socially prominent

Gradually increasing in volume

A crescendo followed by a gradual diminuendo.

The sign indicating such a crescendo.

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

Fashionably elegant; stylish.

Excellent; wonderful

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

(transitive) To cause to become bigger.

(intransitive) To grow gradually in force or loudness.

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

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

(intransitive) To be raised to arrogance.

To be elated; to rise arrogantly.

To be turgid, bombastic, or extravagant.

To protuberate; to bulge out.

The act of swelling; increase in size.

A bulge or protuberance.

Increase of power in style, or of rhetorical force.

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

(music) A gradual crescendo followed by diminuendo.

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

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

A hillock or similar raised area of terrain.

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

A person who is stylish, fancy, or elegant.

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

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

(dated) Fashionable, like a swell or dandy.

Excellent.

Very well.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

To be elated; to rise arrogantly.

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

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

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

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.

To aggravate; to heighten.

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

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

The act of swelling.

Gradual increase.

Increase of force, intensity, or volume of sound.

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

Increase of power in style, or of rhetorical force.

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.

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

A showy, dashing person; a dandy.

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

The undulating movement of the surface of the open sea

A rounded elevation (especially one on an ocean floor)

A crescendo followed by a decrescendo

A man who is much concerned with his dress and appearance

Increase in size, magnitude, number, or intensity;

Become filled with pride, arrogance, or anger;

Expand abnormally;

As of feelings and thoughts, or other ephemeral things;

Come up;

Cause to become swollen;

Very good;