Synonyms for gradual

Most common

slow · gentle · easy · stepwise · piecemeal

Synonyms by meaning

Adjective

Antonyms

sudden, abrupt, steep

All antonyms of gradual →

Definitions

1. adj. 1

   Proceeding or advancing by small, slow, regular steps or degrees

   a gradual increase of knowledge; a gradual decline

Example sentences

• slow He who is slow to promise is best in keeping them.
• gentle A noble man by woman's gentle word may oft be led.
• piecemeal The information is leaking piecemeal to the press.
• progressive Algeria needs a new pan-Algerian progressive party.
• incremental I enjoy the slow buildup of progress in incremental games.

Popularity over time

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

4 letters

easy², slow¹

6 letters

gentle²

7 letters

regular³

8 letters

stepwise

9 letters

piecemeal²

11 letters

progressive³, incremental⁴, gradational

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (easy² = 2 syllables).