Little by little
Example: Little by little, the child learned to ride a bike.
Definition
"Little by little" is an expression used to describe a gradual process or progression, where something happens or changes slowly over time rather than all at once. For example, in "Little by little, the child learned to ride a bike," it indicates steady, incremental improvement.
Etymology
The phrase "little by little" comes from a combination of the word "little," meaning small in amount or degree, repeated to emphasize gradualness, and "by," which here means 'in increments of.' It dates back to Middle English and has been used to express slow progression for centuries. Did you know? This repetition for emphasis is common in many languages to convey gradual change.
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"Little by little" appears in the Vocaplus list "English - General - Idioms and Proverbs - (A1) - set 1", containing 104 commonly used expressions.
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