increasingly

American

[in-kree-sing-lee] / ɪnˈkri sɪŋ li /

adverb

to an ever greater degree; more and more: Marketers are increasingly using video to create meaningful emotional connections with their consumers.

He became increasingly nervous and overwrought and began to suffer bouts of depression.
Marketers are increasingly using video to create meaningful emotional connections with their consumers.

Etymology

Origin of increasingly

increasing ( def. ) + -ly

Explanation

This adverb applies to anything that is happening more often, in greater numbers, or with greater intensity. An increasingly hot summer keeps getting hotter. To increase something is to add to it numerically, like increasing the size of your family by having a baby. Anything that happens increasingly is growing in some way. An increasingly depressed person keeps getting sadder. An increasingly sick patient keeps getting worse. An increasingly corrupt government is getting less and less honest. When you see this word, you know something is intensifying.

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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.

More recently, though, investors have grown increasingly confident that the U.S. and Iran will eventually reach a peace deal.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

The two companies are the dominant players in the theme-park industry, locked in an increasingly intense battle for Orlando following Comcast’s opening of Epic Universe in May 2025.

From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026

It’s become increasingly difficult for CBS or other major networks to make money on a topical show when the majority of the audience, particularly younger viewers, watch snippets on YouTube.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026

"Social media companies' increasingly powerful algorithms have caused concern across the population, with young people and parents telling us that they experience struggles to disengage from the online world," she said.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

As they came closer to New London and the busy Thames River, Route 1 became increasingly cluttered with restaurants, bars, quick food chains and shopping plazas.

From "Homecoming" by Cynthia Voigt

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