smorzando

[smawrt-sahn-doh, zmawr-tsahn-daw]

adjective

Music.

1. fading away; dying out (a musical direction).

Word History and Origins

Origin of smorzando¹

1790–1800; < Italian, gerund of smorzare to extinguish

Example Sentences

A climax is gradually reached which ends, smorzando, with a descending chromatic run on the pianoforte, followed by a long trill on C-sharp which ushers in the closing portion of the work.

From Project Gutenberg

Then, too, thanks to proximity, the most delicate tones could be heard to the extreme limits of the smorzando, still preserving that slightly veiled timbre unique in its charm, the mysterious interpreter of infinite sweetness and unspeakable tenderness.

From Project Gutenberg