Meaning & use
gradual
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Developing slowly in small steps rather than suddenly.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after a linking verb: a gradual change; the change was gradual.
Patterns
- a gradual increase in something
- gradual change
There has been a gradual rise in temperatures over the last century.
She made a gradual recovery after the surgery.
A gradual shift in public opinion eventually changed the law.
adjectivecomparable
Not steep; sloping gently so that the change in height is spread over a long distance.
Grammar: Describes slopes and inclines: a gradual slope.
Patterns
- a gradual slope
- a gradual incline
The path climbs the hill at a gradual angle, so even beginners can walk it.
The beach has a gradual slope into the water.
A gradual curve in the road made driving easy.
Word forms
| comparative | more gradual |
|---|---|
| superlative | most gradual |
Common combinations
- gradual change
- Gradual change in the climate is hard to notice year by year.
- gradual decline
- The shop suffered a gradual decline in customers.
- gradual improvement
- Her grades showed a gradual improvement all term.
- gradual process
- Learning a language is a gradual process.
- gradual increase
- We saw a gradual increase in sales through spring.
Synonyms and how they differ
- steady
- Steady stresses even, regular movement, whereas gradual stresses slowness and smallness of the steps.
- slow
- Slow only describes speed, and can sound negative, while gradual suggests orderly progress by degrees.
- incremental
- Incremental is more formal and describes change made in distinct small additions.
- progressive
- Progressive implies continuing forward development, often toward something better, which gradual does not necessarily mean.
Opposites
Word family
- gradually adverb
- little by little
- gradualness noun
- the quality of happening slowly in steps
- gradualism noun
- a policy of slow, step-by-step change
- graduate verb
- to pass through stages, or complete a course
Commonly confused: gradual or graduate?
gradual vs graduate
Graduate means to finish a degree or move up a level, while gradual describes slow change; they share a root but are used differently.
Practice
The hill has a ___ slope, so it is easy to climb.
Choose one answer.
A gradual slope rises gently. Sudden would describe a sharp change, which would make the climb hard.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “gradual”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.