gradually

American  

[graj-oo-uh-lee] / ˈgrædʒ u ə li /

adverb

1. by small degrees or little by little.

   The hurricane moved northwestward to northward for two days, gradually weakened to a depression, and then turned eastward.

   Over the following decades, the curriculum was gradually expanded, with additional offerings in history, government, languages, geology, and geography.

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Other Word Forms

• ungradually
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of gradually

gradual ( def. ) + -ly

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

gradually

Alzheimer's disease gradually damages memory, thinking, and behavior and affects more than 7 million older adults in the United States.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 1, 2026

If the formula were left unchanged, the minimum allocation gradually would grow to $493 million over the next 10 years, according to a city analysis.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

BMW BMW 2.24%increase; green up pointing triangle is seeking greater efficiencies across the group as it readies for increasingly challenging market conditions ahead, but profitability is expected to improve only gradually over the coming years.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

Analysts at ING meanwhile said the French figures "suggest that inflation is likely to remain above three percent for the rest of 2026 before gradually declining in 2027".

From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026

It takes longer but that person is destroyed gradually, by his or her own conscience.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

Related Words

• constantly
• continuously
• deliberately
• gently
• increasingly
• moderately
• progressively
• regularly
• steadily