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Glite Dictionary
to inch forward

to inch forward

4 3.4
To move forward very slowly by a short distance
  • phrasal verb
  • /ɪnʧ ˈfɔrwərd/
translation icon : avanzar poco a poco
  • -- and this is where it starts to get tricky -- he inches forward across the luggage toward where the driver is.
  • slowly inches forward
  • the line inches forward
  • began to inch forward

Or if it is, it's just inching forward maybe a little bit.

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Examples

  • The silence enfolded them like a blanket, thick and soft, and after a bit, Keiko began inching forward.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • The cars in front of him inched forward toward the Iraqi infantry grouped around the concrete-filled barrels up ahead.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • With shaking hands, she put the car in drive and began to inch forward.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • Or if it is, it's just inching forward maybe a little bit.

    Film Courage

  • And then you get serious about inching forward every single day.

  • Family debt levels will stay elevated; growth will very slowly inch forward, if at all.

    Blog text (21)

  • As I discussed the court with the adults, several children inched forward to listen.

    Academic text (2007)

  • Shells exploded all around as soldiers from both sides moved forward, fell back, and then inched forward again.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • Nevertheless, political stabilization inched forward in the 1990s, and investment accelerated, especially in agriculture and the maquila sector.

    Academic text (2002)

  • As the storm began to calm, we decided to inch forward cautiously towards the light.

Synonyms

to edge
vsto inch forward
10 3.9

To move slowly and carefully in a particular direction

is used for slow progress toward a goal or place rather than any direction
to edge in
vsto inch forward
5 5.3

To move slowly and carefully into a small space or group

is used for slow progress toward places in general rather than only entering tight spaces
to inch along
vsto inch forward
1 3.5

To move forward very slowly in small steps

is less extremely slow and refers to steady cautious progress
to edge up
vsto inch forward
5.6

Move slowly and carefully forward to get closer in a crowd

is used for slow progress toward a place generally not only for entering spaces

Antonyms

leap
107 1.0

A jump through the air or a sudden strong feeling

sprint
55 2.1

A short, very fast run over a small distance

How Fast

to run
∞ 1.0
to walk
∞ 1.0
to inch forward
4 3.4
to creep
155 2.5
crawl
23 1.2

Surface Forms

inch forward infinitive
inched forward past
inched forward past participle
inching forward present participle
inches forward third person singular

Morphology

inch + forward

The meaning 'to move slowly and gradually' is directly compositional from 'inch' (advance in tiny increments) plus 'forward' (toward the front), so a learner who knows both words can infer the MWE. This verb + directional adverb pattern is common cross-linguistically and follows standard English composition, making it immediately understandable to a B1 learner.

Etymology

The verb inch forward comes from the tiny word inch and the idea of going forward by only a very small amount. Picture someone moving just an inch at a time to avoid being seen or to make slow, careful progress, and that's why it means 'to move slowly and carefully'.