stringendo

stringendo means played with gradually increasing tempo.

Why “stringendo” is a great word

A musical direction indicating a passage is to be played with a gradually increasing tempo, often conveying a sense of urgency or pressing forward. Borrowed from Italian *stringendo* ("tightening"), the gerund of *stringere* ("to tighten, press, bind"), from Latin *stringere* ("to draw tight, bind"), first attested in English use around 1850–55. Unlike *accelerando*, which suggests a general, often measured increase in speed, or *allargando*, which commands a broadening and slowing for grandeur, *stringendo* is the tightening of a violin bow until the horsehair hums, the breath shortening in a final chase, the conversation accelerating helplessly toward confession—the musical equivalent of a moment insisting upon its own end.

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian stringendo (“tightening”).

adv

Played with gradually increasing tempo.

noun

A passage in music to be played gradually faster; a section of music with in which the tempo slowly increases.

Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Words closest in meaning

By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.

accelerando 68% match — A tempo mark directing that a passage is to be played at an increasing speed. vs stringendo →
ritardando 64% match — Gradually decelerating the tempo of a piece of music, especially at the end of the piece. vs stringendo →
rallentando 64% match — slackening; becoming slower (used as a musical direction). vs stringendo →
crescendo 61% match — An instruction to play gradually more loudly, denoted by a long, narrow angle with its apex on the left ( < ), by musicians called a hairpin. vs stringendo →
morendo 59% match — Fading away in volume or tempo. vs stringendo →
diminuendo 59% match — A dynamic mark directing that a passage is to be played gradually more softly vs stringendo →
allargando 58% match — Decreasing in tempo; getting slower. vs stringendo →
vigoroso 58% match — A tempo mark directing that a passage is to be played with emphasis, spirit, vigour or energy. vs stringendo →