Phrase guide

step by step

adv · 4 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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

adv

Meaning 1

From one stage to the next in sequence.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • She assembled the toy step by step, following the instructions carefully.
  • We were shown the process step by step.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adv

Meaning 2

Gradually and steadily.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • Like many a successful YouTuber, she built up her following step by step, amassing subscribers as her video library grew.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: bit by bit, little by little, one by one, additively, incrementally, footmeal, one at a time, one step at a time, piecemeal, step by step, stepwise, by degrees, by inches, continually, inch by inch, gradatim, gradually, momentarily, momently, progressively, stepmeal, unsuddenly

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: gradually, bit by bit

Antonyms: none provided

4

adverb

Meaning 4

proceeding in steps

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the voltage was increased stepwise

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: stepwise

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

75 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: خُطْوَةً خُطْوَةً (ḵuṭwatan ḵuṭwatan) — gradually
  • Arabic: خُطْوَةً بِخُطْوَةٍ (ḵuṭwatan biḵuṭwatin) — gradually
  • Arabic: مَرْحَلَةً مَرْحَلَةً (marḥalatan marḥalatan) — gradually
  • Arabic: شَيْئًا فَشَيْئًا (šayʔan fašayʔan) — gradually
  • Arabic: خُطْوَةً فَخُطْوَةً (ḵuṭwatan faḵuṭwatan) — gradually
  • Basque: ttaka-ttaka — gradually
  • Belarusian: крок за кро́кам (krok za krókam) — gradually
  • Bulgarian: стъ́пка по стъ́пка (stǎ́pka po stǎ́pka) — gradually
  • Chinese Mandarin: 一步一步 (yībù yībù) — gradually
  • Chinese Mandarin: 逐步 (zhúbù) — gradually
  • Czech: krok za krokem — gradually
  • Esperanto: paŝon post paŝo — gradually
  • Estonian: aste-astmelt — gradually
  • Finnish: askel kerrallaan — gradually
  • Finnish: vähitellen — gradually
  • Finnish: asteittain — gradually
  • Finnish: askelittain — gradually
  • French: pas à pas — gradually
  • Galician: paso e paso — gradually
  • Galician: pouco e pouco — gradually
  • Georgian: ნაბიჯ-ნაბიჯ (nabiǯ-nabiǯ) — gradually
  • Georgian: ნელ-ნელა (nel-nela) — gradually
  • German: nach und nach — gradually
  • German: Schritt für Schritt — gradually
  • German: schrittweise — gradually
  • Greek: βαθμηδόν (vathmidón) — gradually
  • Greek: βήμα προς βήμα (víma pros víma) — gradually
  • Ancient Greek: βάδην (bádēn) — gradually
  • Hungarian: lépésről lépésre — gradually
  • Hungarian: lépésenként — gradually
  • Icelandic: skref fyrir skref — gradually
  • Ido: pazope — gradually
  • Ingrian: jalka jalalt — gradually
  • Italian: passo a passo — gradually
  • Italian: gradualmente — gradually
  • Italian: poco a poco — gradually
  • Italian: poco per volta — gradually
  • Japanese: 一歩一歩 (ippoippo) — gradually
  • Japanese: 少しずつ (sukoshi-zutsu) — gradually
  • Korean: 일보일보 (ilboilbo) — gradually
  • Korean: 단계별로 (dan'gyebyeol-lo) — gradually
  • Latin: gradātim — gradually
  • Latin: pedetemptim — gradually
  • Lithuanian: pakopa po pakopos — gradually
  • Macedonian: чекор по чекор (čekor po čekor) — gradually
  • Norwegian Bokmål: trinn for trinn — gradually
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: trinn for trinn — gradually
  • Iranian Persian: قَدَم بِه قَدَم (ġadam be ġadam) — gradually
  • Iranian Persian: گام بِه گام (gâm be gâm) — gradually
  • Polish: krok po kroku — gradually
  • Portuguese: passo a passo — gradually
  • Portuguese: pouco a pouco — gradually
  • Portuguese: de pouquinho em pouquinho — gradually
  • Portuguese: gradualmente — gradually
  • Romanian: pas cu pas — gradually
  • Russian: шаг за ша́гом (šag za šágom) — gradually
  • Russian: постепе́нно (postepénno) — gradually
  • Scottish Gaelic: ceum is ceum — gradually
  • Scottish Gaelic: beag air bheag — gradually
  • Serbo-Croatian: корак по корак — gradually
  • Serbo-Croatian: korak po korak — gradually
  • Slovak: krok za krokom — gradually
  • Slovene: korak za korakom — gradually
  • Spanish: paso a paso — gradually
  • Spanish: de paso en paso — gradually
  • Spanish: paso entre paso — gradually
  • Spanish: paso ante paso — gradually
  • Spanish: paso por paso — gradually
  • Swedish: steg för steg — gradually
  • Turkish: adım adım — gradually
  • Turkish: yavaş yavaş — gradually
  • Ukrainian: крок за кро́ком (krok za krókom) — gradually
  • Welsh: cam a cham — gradually
  • Welsh: o gam i gam — gradually
  • Zazaki: gam gam — gradually