Synonyms

gradually

American

[graj-oo-uh-lee] / ˈgrædʒ u ə li /

adverb

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.

Other Word Forms

ungradually adverb

Etymology

Origin of gradually

gradual ( def. ) + -ly

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In 1983, Congress modified Social Security to gradually raise the full retirement age from 65 to 67.

From The Wall Street Journal

Their relationship dated back to the 1980s, when Epstein was introduced to Wexner as a financial adviser and gradually assumed control over significant portions of his personal wealth.

From The Wall Street Journal

"A return to normal conditions will then occur very gradually," added Chadourne-Facon.

From Barron's

In 2010, co author Tom Watters, a senior scientist emeritus at the Center for Earth and Planetary Studies, found evidence that the Moon is gradually shrinking.

From Science Daily

It adds that all patients - apart from patients having treatment for cancer - should start gradually reducing the number of tablets they take until stopping completely.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023