gradually
GRA-joo-uh-lee/ˈɡɹæd͡ʒuəli/
- 1In small steps over time, not all at once.
Like climbing stairs one step at a time instead of jumping to the top.
The sky gradually got darker as the sun went down.
She gradually learned to swim a little better each week.
Similarslowly, steadily, progressively, incrementally
- 2Step by step, moving through small stages.
Horns, upon the due accession of Moisture, doth gradually become Soft.
1682, Nehemiah Grew, The Anatomy of Plants.Here, gradually means step by step, a little at a time.Note
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Origin
It comes from the word "gradual" plus the ending "-ly".