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Meaning & use

more and more

phrase·Everyday

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UK/ˌmɔːr ən ˈmɔː/
US/ˌmɔːr ən ˈmɔːr/

Meanings

  1. phrasefixed phrase

    Used before an adjective or adverb to show that something keeps increasing in degree over time.

    Grammar: Goes before the adjective or adverb: more and more tired, more and more quickly.

    Patterns

    • more and more adjective
    • more and more adverb

    The nights are getting more and more chilly.

    She became more and more confident as the weeks passed.

    The path grew more and more narrow near the top.

  2. phrasefixed phrase

    Used with a verb to show that an action happens increasingly often or to a greater extent.

    Grammar: Comes before or after the verb: people travel more and more, or more and more people travel.

    Patterns

    • more and more people do something

    More and more people are working from home.

    We rely on our phones more and more.

    More and more cafes now offer oat milk.

  3. phrasefixed phrase

    Used before a plural or uncountable noun to mean a growing amount or number of something.

    Grammar: Works as a determiner: more and more students.

    Patterns

    • more and more of something

    More and more of my time goes to answering email.

    More and more students apply each year.

    There is more and more evidence of climate change.

Common combinations

more and more people
More and more people are cycling to work.
more and more difficult
The exam questions became more and more difficult.
more and more often
It rains more and more often in spring.
more and more popular
Electric cars are becoming more and more popular.
more and more like
He sounds more and more like his father.

Synonyms and how they differ

increasingly
Increasingly is a single word with the same sense, and sounds more formal than more and more.
progressively
Progressively suggests a steady step-by-step change, and appears in careful writing.
ever more
Ever more is a slightly literary version that must be followed by an adjective or adverb.
gradually
Gradually describes the slowness of a change, not that the degree keeps growing.

Opposites

less and less

Word family

more adverb
to a greater extent
more determiner
a greater amount of
most adverb
to the greatest extent
moreover adverb
in addition

Commonly confused: more and more or more or less? more and more or less and less?

more and more vs more or less

More or less means approximately, not an increase over time.

more and more vs less and less

Less and less is the opposite: it shows a growing decrease.

Practice

Which sentence expresses a steady increase in the natural way?

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