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

AI content has flooded social media feeds in the past couple of years, and videos promoting exercise and online fitness programmes are becoming increasingly common.

From BBC • May 7, 2026

"The US increasingly sees these groups as sophisticated transnational criminal organizations with regional reach," said Rebecca Bill Chavez, president of the Washington-based Inter-American Dialogue.

From Barron's • May 6, 2026

Banks are increasingly courting high-end customers with credit cards and loans, benefiting from strong credit portfolios.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026

The environment overall, BellRing CEO Darcy Davenport said, “reflects an increasingly value-focused consumer with greater reliance on promotions, low-price brands and value-priced pack sizes.”

From MarketWatch • May 6, 2026

The prison guards seemed to be growing increasingly edgy.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin

Related Words

• more
• more and more
• progressively