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

Hyundai will not apply the wage peak system, which gradually reduces the salaries of older workers in their final years, after the retirement age is extended, the union said.

From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026

For billions of years, an ancient cluster of stars has been gradually coming apart, shedding stars that now form a faint, narrow ribbon across space.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 24, 2026

As Ernest Hemingway wrote a century ago: One goes bankrupt two ways — gradually, and then suddenly.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 24, 2026

But over the past decade it has gradually added slightly higher-priced, style-forward items in an effort to appeal to more customers who might also shop at Gap, J.Crew or Nordstrom.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026

“Perhaps it is safer to stay there. At the very least, slipping into the giant’s throat gradually will let you live longer than if you jump over here and miss.”

From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley

Related Words

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