What are some other ways I can say something that means the same thing as "little by little"? The only other thing I know is "bit by bit."
asked Apr 1, 2011 at 5:06
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4 Answers
There are quite a few —by— phrases at your disposal. The established ones, besides little by little are: step by step, day by day, inch by inch, and bit by bit. You can also construct any of your own choosing, depending on the context, e.g. moment by moment, sip by sip, limp by limp, and even wiggle by wiggle!
The plainest one-word synonym would be gradually. Other possible adverbs you could use in its place are: steadily, slowly, progressively and incrementally.†
I would also recommend the synonymous phrases, slowly but surely and by degrees.
†Credit goes to Martha for this suggestion.
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1Brings to mind that old Three Stooges bit, "Niagara Falls! Slowly I turned, step by step, inch by inch..." Turns out this was a classic Vaudeville trope: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slowly_I_Turned Commented Apr 2, 2011 at 0:01
Perhaps 'gradually' may fit your needs, as it also suggests progression in small increments.
answered Apr 1, 2011 at 6:04
You could also say
A little bit at a time
"Softly, softly, catchy monkey" is one that springs to mind, with a variation that kind of conveys the same meaning as "slowly but surely", which is:
"Slowly, slowly, catchy monkey" - kind of cute, yet meaningless?
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1Welcome to ELU.SE. This site strives to provide objective answers. As it stands your answer is purely subjective and could be improved by adding references. Take the tour or have a look at the help center to find out more about good answers.– HelmarCommented Oct 2, 2016 at 18:59