Meaning & use
diminuendo in music
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Meanings
phrasefixed phrasemusic
A musical direction meaning to play or sing gradually more softly.
Grammar: Used as a performance instruction, often written above the staff as 'dim.' or a hairpin symbol.
Patterns
- play something diminuendo in music
- a diminuendo in music
- marked diminuendo in music
The choral director asked the altos to make a diminuendo in music at the end of the phrase.
In the score, the composer wrote 'diminuendo in music' above the violins to show they should fade out.
The pianist's diminuendo in music created a haunting, distant effect.
nouncountablemusic
A gradual decrease in loudness in a piece of music.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a diminuendo' or 'diminuendos'.
Patterns
- a diminuendo in music
- the diminuendo in music
- diminuendos in music
The symphony ends with a long diminuendo in music that leaves the audience in silence.
She practiced the diminuendo in music until the final note was barely audible.
The conductor shaped the diminuendo in music carefully to match the singers.
Word forms
| plural | diminuendos in music |
|---|
Common combinations
- gradual diminuendo in music
- The piece calls for a gradual diminuendo in music over eight bars.
- sudden diminuendo in music
- A sudden diminuendo in music surprised the listeners.
- marked diminuendo in music
- The score has a marked diminuendo in music near the coda.
- make a diminuendo in music
- The strings make a diminuendo in music to blend with the woodwinds.
Synonyms and how they differ
- decrescendo
- Decrescendo means the same as diminuendo, but it is more common in Italian scores and less used in everyday English.
- fade-out
- Fade-out is used for recorded music or radio, while diminuendo in music is for live performance directions.
Opposites
Word family
- diminuendo noun
- The base term for a gradual decrease in loudness.
- diminished adjective
- Describes an interval or chord made smaller by a half step.
Commonly confused: diminuendo in music or diminution?
diminuendo in music vs diminution
Diminution means a reduction in size or importance, not a musical direction.
Practice
The conductor wrote 'dim.' above the notes. What does this tell the players to do?
Choose one answer.
'Dim.' is short for diminuendo in music, which means to get quieter. It does not mean faster, louder, or staccato.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “diminuendo in music”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.