increasingly

American  

[in-kree-sing-lee] / ɪnˈkri sɪŋ li /

adverb

1. 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.

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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.

Example Sentences

The palace says yes, pointing to Charles’s increasingly important diplomatic role in promoting the U.K. abroad while he also acts as a unifying figure at home.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 26, 2026

Gore soberly presented the earth’s dwindling ice, rising seas and increasingly violent weather.

From Salon • Jun. 26, 2026

Paulsen says there’s no way to tell how much today’s EPS estimates reflect sustainable company performance versus increasingly reflecting rising investor optimism.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 26, 2026

However, support for the effort has grown increasingly shaky.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 26, 2026

The symptoms had become increasingly apparent over time: fits, erratic mood swings, worsening amnesia.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

Related Words

• more
• more and more
• progressively