increasingly
Americanadverb
Etymology
Origin of increasingly
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The officials pressing for an increase have increasingly pointed to the AI boom—hundreds of billions of dollars flowing into data centers and computing power—as a source of demand the economy can’t easily supply.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
The trend underscores how dissent is increasingly being shaped by internet culture, particularly among the Gen Z.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
They said the ongoing pivot to digital would "ensure we continue to support the stand-up community in a rapidly changing and increasingly competitive media landscape".
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
Instead, Vanda found that they’re increasingly favoring more diversified ETFs that can provide a “defensive alternative.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
The less resourceful Neanderthals found it increasingly difficult to feed themselves.
From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
