stringendo
|strin-gen-do|
🇺🇸
/strɪnˈdɛndoʊ/
🇬🇧
/strɪnˈdɛndəʊ/
pressing to speed up
Etymology
'stringendo' originates from Italian, specifically the present participle of the verb 'stringere', where 'stringere' meant 'to draw tight, press'.
'stringendo' was used in Italian musical notation (derived from the Italian present participle of 'stringere') and was adopted into English musical terminology in the 18th–19th centuries with its directive sense.
Initially, it meant 'tightening' or 'pressing'; in musical use it evolved to mean 'pressing (the tempo)', i.e. gradually speeding up.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adverb 1
a musical direction indicating that the tempo should gradually become faster; pressing forward in speed and often intensity.
The passage is marked stringendo to increase momentum toward the chorus.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/14 07:40