incremental

/ˌɪŋkrəˈmentl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌɪŋkrəˈmentl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌiŋ-krə-ˈmen-tᵊl ˌin-/ (ame, mw)

incremental — 形容詞

  • incrementalpositive
  • more incrementalcomparative
  • most incrementalsuperlative

1. happening or developing in small, regular stages over a period of time, rather t

1.形容詞B2
釋義

逐步的

按固定小步驟循序發生的

happening or developing in small, regular stages over a period of time, rather than in a single sudden change.

例句

The hospital introduced new safety procedures through incremental changes over several months.

這家醫院在幾個月內，透過逐步的改變，推出了新的安全程序。

Guo made incremental progress in his Mandarin studies, learning ten new characters each week.

Guo 在中文學習上取得了逐步的進步，每週學十個新的漢字。

collocation: incremental progress

同義詞
  • gradual

    focuses on slowness over time; 'incremental' emphasises the regular, stage-by-stage nature

  • step-by-step

    more informal and concrete; common in instructions and guides

  • phased

    suggests a planned sequence of distinct phases, often in projects

反義詞
  • sudden

    describes an event that happens all at once rather than in stages

  • wholesale

    suggests a large-scale change affecting everything at the same time

文法句型

incremental + noun

用法筆記

Often used to describe a method or strategy that unfolds in stages — common in business, technology, education, and project-management contexts. The focus is on the process of change, not the size of each step.

常見錯誤

❌The team expected incremental results, so the huge improvement amazed them.
✅The team expected gradual, incremental gains, so the huge improvement amazed them.
💡'Incremental' describes a step-by-step process, not the outcome itself; use it to modify nouns that suggest a series (progress, gains, changes).

2. very small in size, amount, or degree, especially when the individual piece is c

2.形容詞B2
釋義

微量的

單項增量或幅度很小的

very small in size, amount, or degree, especially when the individual piece is considered on its own as part of a larger whole.

例句

The new training programme produced only incremental gains in worker productivity.

新的培訓計畫在員工生產力方面，只帶來了微量的提升。

collocation: incremental gains

Each incremental increase of one degree in temperature caused the ice to melt a little faster.

溫度每微量上升一度，都讓冰融化得更快一些。

collocation: incremental increase in [sth]

同義詞
  • slight

    more general and common in everyday speech; 'incremental' carries a stronger business/economics flavour

  • marginal

    very close in meaning, especially in economics; 'marginal cost' and 'incremental cost' are near-synonyms

  • minor

    broader — 'minor' can describe any small thing, not necessarily part of a series

反義詞
  • substantial

    describes a large amount or degree, the opposite of small in magnitude

  • significant

    describes something that matters or is big enough to notice

文法句型

incremental + noun

用法筆記

Frequently appears before nouns that represent quantities, differences, or effects (cost, gain, increase, benefit, improvement, relief). In business and economics this sense overlaps with 'marginal'.

常見錯誤

❌The doctor said the patient's condition was incremental.
✅The doctor said the patient showed incremental signs of recovery.
💡'Incremental' describes changes or additions, not a fixed state; it needs a noun that changes over time.