increasingly

increasingly — adverb

1. used before an adjective, adverb, or verb to show that something is becoming gre

1.adverbB2
Definition

used before an adjective, adverb, or verb to show that something is becoming greater in amount, degree, or frequency as time passes

Example

The weather in this region has become increasingly unpredictable over the past decade.

increasingly + adjective (unpredictable); become increasingly

Yusuf found it increasingly hard to focus on his reading in the noisy cafe.

find + it + increasingly + adjective

Common collocations
  • increasingly difficult
  • increasingly important
  • increasingly common
  • increasingly popular
  • increasingly clear
  • increasingly likely
  • increasingly reliant on
  • increasingly depend on
  • increasingly aware of
  • grow increasingly
  • become increasingly
  • find something increasingly
Synonyms
  • more and more

    less formal; can be placed after the verb or at the end of a clause ('it happens more and more') — 'increasingly' cannot

  • progressively

    slightly more formal; often used for gradual, step-by-step change

  • ever more

    more literary or emphatic; used before adjectives ('ever more complex')

  • to an increasing extent

    more formal and wordy; used in academic or official writing

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

increasingly + adjective

increasingly + adverb

increasingly + verb

become/grow + increasingly + adjective

Usage Note

Position: place 'increasingly' directly before the word it modifies — before an adjective ('increasingly common'), an adverb ('increasingly often'), or a main verb ('increasingly relies'). Unlike the phrase 'more and more', it cannot go at the end of a clause.

Common Mistakes

The problem is serious increasingly.
The problem is increasingly serious.
'increasingly' must come before the adjective or adverb it modifies, not after it.
She is increasingly more tired every day.
She is increasingly tired every day.
'increasingly' already carries the idea of 'more', so do not add 'more' after it.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

All four express the idea of continuous growth, but they differ in register and syntactic position. 'More and more' is the most common in everyday speech and can appear at the end of a clause ('She travels more and more'), whereas 'increasingly' must go before the word it modifies. 'Progressively' suggests a step-by-step, often measurable change and is common in technical or medical writing ('progressively worse symptoms'). 'Ever more' adds a literary or dramatic tone and is normally used before adjectives ('ever more complex'). 'To an increasing extent' is the most formal option, typical of academic essays and official reports. For most daily situations, 'more and more' or 'increasingly' are the natural choices: 'Ravi found commuting increasingly frustrating' or 'Ravi found commuting more and more frustrating.'

more and more ↗progressivelyever moreto an increasing extent

Common collocations

Phrases

  • become increasingly + adjective
  • grow increasingly + adjective
  • find + object + increasingly + adjective
  • feel increasingly + adjective
  • seem increasingly + adjective
  • appear increasingly + adjective

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Formed from the adjective 'increasing' (the present participle of 'increase') plus the adverb suffix '-ly'. The verb 'increase' comes from Old French 'encreistre', which goes back to Latin 'increscere' — a combination of the prefix 'in-' ('into, upon') and 'crescere' ('to grow'). So the core image is 'growing into' something larger, a sense of continuous upward movement that the adverb still carries today.