Meaning & use
diminuendos
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“diminuendos” is a form of “diminuendo”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
nouncountable
A gradual decrease in loudness in a piece of music, or the passage played this way.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a diminuendo' or 'diminuendos'.
Patterns
- play a diminuendo
- a diminuendo passage
The conductor asked for a long diminuendo at the end of the symphony.
The sheet music showed several diminuendos marked with the letter 'dim.'
The pianist practiced the diminuendos to make them sound smooth.
Word forms
| singular | diminuendo |
|---|
Common combinations
- gradual diminuendo
- The piece ends with a gradual diminuendo.
- marked diminuendo
- The score has a marked diminuendo in the strings.
- play a diminuendo
- The orchestra played a diminuendo that faded to silence.
Synonyms and how they differ
- decrescendo
- 'Decrescendo' is a synonym and is often used interchangeably, though some musicians prefer 'diminuendo' for a gradual decrease.
Opposites
Word family
- diminuendo noun
- The singular form; a gradual decrease in loudness.
Commonly confused: diminuendos or diminutive?
diminuendos vs diminutive
'Diminutive' means very small or a word form indicating smallness, while 'diminuendo' is a musical term for getting softer. They look similar but are unrelated.
Practice
What does a diminuendo indicate in music?
Choose one answer.
A diminuendo means a gradual decrease in loudness, so option 1 is correct. Getting louder is a crescendo; tempo changes are not indicated by this term.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “diminuendos”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.