little by little

little by little — 慣用語

1. happening slowly and in very small amounts or degrees over a period of time, rat

1.慣用語A2
釋義

一點一滴

緩慢地、逐步地發生或改變

happening slowly and in very small amounts or degrees over a period of time, rather than suddenly or all at once

例句

Little by little, Talia learned to speak Spanish by talking with her neighbours in Valencia.

Talia 透過和瓦倫西亞的鄰居交談，逐漸學會了說西班牙語。

little by little at start of clause for gradual process

The cherry tree in Kabir's garden grew taller little by little over the spring months.

Kabir 花園裡的櫻桃樹在春天的幾個月裡一點一點地長高了。

little by little after verb of change

同義詞
  • gradually

    the most common neutral alternative; can sound more formal in writing

  • step by step

    emphasises a clear sequence of stages, often in learning or planning

  • bit by bit

    slightly more informal than 'little by little'; common in everyday conversation

  • inch by inch

    highlights very slow physical movement, often with difficulty or caution

反義詞
  • all at once

    the direct opposite — happening in a single moment rather than in stages

  • suddenly

    implies an abrupt change with no preparation or gradual build-up

文法句型

little by little at start of clause

little by little after verb or verb phrase

用法筆記

Unlike 'gradually', which can modify any verb, 'little by little' implies a visible sequence of small steps — it fits best with processes that unfold in countable increments (learning, saving, recovering, building).

常見錯誤

❌She improved little by little, slowly.
✅She improved little by little.
💡'slowly' is redundant; the idea of slowness is already in the phrase.
❌Little by little, but surely, the plant grew.
✅Little by little, the plant grew.
💡adding 'but surely' is unnecessary; the phrase already conveys steady progress.
❌The snow melted little and little.
✅The snow melted little by little.
💡the fixed form uses 'by', not 'and'.