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gradual

gradual

71 3.0
Happening slowly and steadily, not suddenly
  • adjective
  • /ˈɡrædʒuəl/
: gradual
  • I want something that feels gradual and smooth.
  • gradual change
  • gradual process
  • gradual transition

It's like gradual, like gradual degradation, just getting old.

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Examples

  • And all of this would suggest a gradual change in mental health.

  • It's been more or less a gradual phase of policy.

  • So I guess in that it's been a gradual process.

  • Both leaders experienced a high point in their popularity, followed by a gradual decrease in their influence.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Probably the most dramatic economic change was the gradual integration of private enterprise into Chinese society.

    Academic text (1999)
  • Children who had complained of choking experienced a gradual decline in the frequency of these episodes.

    Academic text (1999)
  • Just these past couple of weeks, he thought he'd detected a gradual warming trend on her part.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • The scientist observed a gradual increase in temperature over the experiment.

  • After months of therapy, she noticed a gradual improvement in her mood.

  • The mountain trail has a gradual slope, making it easy for hikers to navigate.

Synonyms

incremental
vsgradual
44 4.8

Increasing slowly by small regular amounts over time

is broader slow change, not limited to stepwise increases
progressive
vsgradual
33 4.9

Happening slowly over time and becoming more serious

is about slow steady change, not necessarily forward movement
gentle
vsgradual
5 1.0

Not steep and rising slowly

describes slow steady change in any context, not only slopes
gradational
vsgradual
1 7.4

To change in small steps over time

is a slow steady change without emphasizing stages
gradualistic
vsgradual
1 7.7

Supporting slow change over time as an explanation for development

describes the slow change itself rather than a supporting viewpoint
evolutive
vsgradual
1 7.7

Continuing to change or develop slowly over time

is the simple idea of slow steady change, not development focus

Antonyms

∞ 1.0

Happening quickly and without warning

148 2.5

Having a very sharp slope or almost vertical angle

46 4.6

Happening suddenly without warning

How Gradual

steady
327 2.0
gradual
71 3.0
quick
∞ 1.0
abrupt
46 4.6

Surface Forms

gradual positive
gradualer comparative
gradualest superlative

Morphology

gradual = grade (transparent) = grad + ual

The adjective relates to 'grade' (step/degree) plus the adjectival suffix '-ual', so learners who know 'grade' or 'step' can infer 'happening by steps/slowly'.

Etymology

Gradual comes from the Latin gradus meaning 'step', the same root as grade and graduate. So a gradual change happens 'step by step', slowly and steadily.