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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/ˈɡɹæd͡ʒuəli/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:G R AE1 JH UW0 AH0 L IY0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 2:G R AE1 JH UW0 L IY0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adv
Meaning 1
In a gradual manner; making slow progress; slowly.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adv
Meaning 2
by degrees
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adverb
Meaning 3
in a gradual manner
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
the snake moved gradually toward its victim
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: bit by bit, step by step
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
Etymology tree English gradual Middle English -ly English -ly English gradually From gradual + -ly.
Across languages
Translations
73 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
شَيْئاً فَشَيْئاً
(šayʔan fašayʔan)
— in gradual manner
Arabic:
خُطْوةً فَخُطْوةً
(ḵuṭwatan faḵuṭwatan)
— in gradual manner
Arabic:
تَدْرِيجِيّاً
(tadrījiyyan)
— in gradual manner
Arabic:
معو معو
(maʕu maʕu)
— in gradual manner
Arabic:
شوي شوي
(šway šway)
— in gradual manner
Armenian:
աստիճանաբար
(astičanabar)
— in gradual manner
Azerbaijani:
tədricən
— in gradual manner
Belarusian:
паступо́ва
(pastupóva)
— in gradual manner
Bulgarian:
постепенно
(postepenno)
— in gradual manner
Catalan:
gradualment
— in gradual manner
Chinese Mandarin:
逐漸 /逐渐
(zhújiàn)
— in gradual manner
Chinese Mandarin:
漸漸 /渐渐
(jiànjiàn)
— in gradual manner
Chinese Mandarin:
漸次 /渐次
(jiàncì)
— in gradual manner
Czech:
postupně
— in gradual manner
Danish:
gradvis
— in gradual manner
Dutch:
geleidelijk
— in gradual manner
Dutch:
allengs
— in gradual manner
Dutch:
gaandeweg
— in gradual manner
Dutch:
langzamerhand
— in gradual manner
Esperanto:
grade
— in gradual manner
Esperanto:
malabrupte
— in gradual manner
Finnish:
asteittain
— in gradual manner
Finnish:
vähitellen
— in gradual manner
Galician:
gradualmente
— in gradual manner
German:
nach und nach
— in gradual manner
German:
allmählich
— in gradual manner
German:
stufenweise
— in gradual manner
German:
schrittweise
— in gradual manner
Greek:
βαθμιαία
(vathmiaía)
— in gradual manner
Greek:
σταδιακά
(stadiaká)
— in gradual manner
Hanunoo:
amat-amat
— in gradual manner
Hungarian:
fokozatosan
— in gradual manner
Italian:
gradualmente
— in gradual manner
Japanese:
段々と
(dandan to)
— in gradual manner
Japanese:
徐々に
(jojo ni)
— in gradual manner
Japanese:
次第に
(shidai ni)
— in gradual manner
Korean:
점점
(jeomjeom)
— in gradual manner
Korean:
점차
(jeomcha)
— in gradual manner
Korean:
서서히
(seoseohi)
— in gradual manner
Central Kurdish:
وردە وردە
(wirde wirde)
— in gradual manner
Latin:
paulātim
— in gradual manner
Latin:
gradātim
— in gradual manner
Macedonian:
постепено
(postepeno)
— in gradual manner
Manchu:
ᡠᠯᡥᡳᠶᡝᠨ
(ulhiyen)
— in gradual manner
Manchu:
ᡠᠯᡥᡳᠶᡝᠨ ᡠᠯᡥᡳᠶᡝᠨ ᡳ
(ulhiyen ulhiyen-i)
— in gradual manner
Middle English:
esiliche
— in gradual manner
Navajo:
tąądee
— in gradual manner
Norwegian Bokmål:
etter hvert
— in gradual manner
Norwegian Bokmål:
gradvis
— in gradual manner
Norwegian Bokmål:
litt etter litt
— in gradual manner
Norwegian Nynorsk:
etter kvart
— in gradual manner
Plautdietsch:
aulmälich
— in gradual manner
Polish:
stopniowo
— in gradual manner
Polish:
krok po kroku
— in gradual manner
Portuguese:
gradualmente
— in gradual manner
Portuguese:
pouco a pouco
— in gradual manner
Romanian:
treptat
— in gradual manner
Romanian:
în mod gradat
— in gradual manner
Romanian:
progresiv
— in gradual manner
Romanian:
în mod treptat
— in gradual manner
Russian:
постепе́нно
(postepénno)
— in gradual manner
Scottish Gaelic:
mean air mhean
— in gradual manner
Serbo-Croatian:
по̀степено
— in gradual manner
Serbo-Croatian:
pòstepeno
— in gradual manner
Slovak:
postupne
— in gradual manner
Slovene:
postopoma
— in gradual manner
Spanish:
gradualmente
— in gradual manner
Spanish:
paulatinamente
— in gradual manner
Swedish:
gradvis
— in gradual manner
Ukrainian:
поступо́во
(postupóvo)
— in gradual manner