the definition of more and more

[mawr, mohr]

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adjective, compar. of much or many with most as superl.

in greater quantity, amount, measure, degree, or number: I need more money.

additional or further: Do you need more time? More discussion seems pointless.

noun

an additional quantity, amount, or number: I would give you more if I had it. He likes her all the more. When I could take no more of such nonsense, I left.

a greater quantity, amount, or degree: More is expected of him. The price is more than I thought.

something of greater importance: His report is more than a survey.

(used with a plural verb) a greater number of a class specified, or the greater number of persons: More will attend this year than ever before.

adverb compar. of much with most as superl.

in or to a greater extent or degree (in this sense often used before adjectives and adverbs, and regularly before those of more than two syllables, to form comparative phrases having the same force and effect as the comparative degree formed by the termination -er): more interesting; more slowly.

in addition; further; longer; again: Let's talk more another time. We couldn't stand it any more.

moreover.

Idioms

more and more, to an increasing extent or degree; gradually more: They became involved more and more in stock speculation.

more or less,

to some extent; somewhat: She seemed more or less familiar with the subject.
about; in substance; approximately: We came to more or less the same conclusion.

Origin of more

before 900; Middle English; Old English māra; cognate with Old High German mēro, Old Norse meiri, Gothic maiza. See most

Related formsmore·ness, noun

Can be confusedmoor more

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for more and more

more, progressively

British Dictionary definitions for more and more

noun

Hannah. 1745–1833, English writer, noted for her religious tracts, esp The Shepherd of Salisbury Plain

Sir Thomas . 1478–1535, English statesman, humanist, and Roman Catholic Saint; Lord Chancellor to Henry VIII (1529–32). His opposition to the annulment of Henry's marriage to Catherine of Aragon and his refusal to recognize the Act of Supremacy resulted in his execution on a charge of treason. In Utopia (1516) he set forth his concept of the ideal state. Feast day: June 22 or July 6

determiner

the comparative of much, many more joy than you know; more pork sausages
(as pronoun; functioning as sing or plural)he has more than she has; even more are dying every day

additional; furtherno more bananas
(as pronoun; functioning as sing or plural)I can't take any more; more than expected

more of to a greater extent or degreewe see more of Sue these days; more of a nuisance than it should be

adverb

used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbsa more believable story; more quickly

the comparative of much people listen to the radio more now

additionally; againI'll look at it once more

more or less

as an estimate; approximately
to an unspecified extent or degreethe party was ruined, more or less

more so to a greater extent or degree

neither more nor less than simply

think more of to have a higher opinion of

what is more moreover

Word Origin for more

Old English māra; compare Old Saxon, Old High German mēro, Gothic maiza. See also most

xref

See most

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for more and more

adj.

Old English mara "greater, more, stronger, mightier," used as a comparative of micel "great" (see mickle), from Proto-Germanic *maizon- (cf. Old Saxon mera, Old Norse meiri, Old Frisian mara, Middle Dutch mere, Old High German mero, German mehr), from PIE *meis- (cf. Avestan mazja "greater," Old Irish mor "great," Welsh mawr "great," Greek -moros "great," Oscan mais "more"), from root *me- "big." Sometimes used as an adverb in Old English ("in addition"), but Old English generally used related ma "more" as adverb and noun. This became Middle English mo, but more in this sense began to predominate in later Middle English.

"Take some more tea," the March Hare said to Alice, very earnestly.

"I've had nothing yet," Alice replied in an offended tone, "so I can't take more."

"You mean you can't take less," said the Hatter: "it's very easy to take more than nothing."

More or less "in a greater or lesser degree" is from early 13c.; appended to a statement to indicate approximation, from 1580s.

Idioms and Phrases with more and more

more and more

Increasingly, to a steadily growing extent or degree. For example, As night came on, we were getting more and more worried, or More and more I lean toward thinking he is right. [c. 1200]

In addition to the idioms beginning with more

more and more
more bang for the buck
more dead than alive
more fun than a barrel of monkeys
more in sorrow than in anger
more often than not
more or less
more power to someone
more sinned against than sinning
more than meets the eye
more than one bargained for
more than one can shake a stick at
more than one way to skin a cat
more the merrier, the

also see:

bite off more than one can chew
irons in the fire, more than one
wear another (more than one) hat
what is more