Phrase guide

day by day

adv · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • rhymes with -eɪ

1

adv

Meaning 1

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: one day at a time.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • He tore the page for Thursday from his day by day calendar.
  • Wimbledon's press office produces a day by day summary of the day's play.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adv

Meaning 2

gradually

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Day by day things got worse.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adverb

Meaning 3

gradually and progressively

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • his health weakened day by day

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: daily

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

11 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: օրեցօր (ōrecʻōr) — one day at a time
  • Korean: 날마다 (nalmada) — one day at a time
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: dag for dag — one day at a time
  • Udi: гъибагъи (ɣibaɣi) — one day at a time
  • Welsh: dydd yn ei ddydd — one day at a time
  • Finnish: päivä päivältä — gradually
  • French: de jour en jour — gradually
  • Greek: μέρα με τη μέρα (méra me ti méra) — gradually
  • Polish: z dnia na dzień — gradually
  • Tamil: நாளுக்குநாள் (nāḷukkunāḷ) — gradually
  • Welsh: dydd yn ei ddydd — gradually