Meanings
- not comparableFrom one stage to the next in sequence.
We were shown the process step by step.
1 more example
She assembled the toy step by step, following the instructions carefully.
- not comparableGradually and steadily.
Like many a successful YouTuber, she built up her following step by step, amassing subscribers as her video library grew.
2 more examples
All I want from tomorrow is just to get it better than today Step by step, one by one, higher and higher Step by step, one by one, climbing Jacob's ladder
1988, Bruce Hornsby, “Jacob's Ladder”, in Scenes From the Southside, performed by Bruce Hornsby and the RangeRail technology advanced step by step - albeit electrification was a good stride, rather than a short step.
2024 January 10, Philip Haigh, “Four decades of Britain's railway evolution - step by step”, in RAIL, number 1000, page 65Synonyms: bit by bit, little by little, one by one, additively, bit by bit, incrementally, footmeal, little by little
Synonyms & antonyms
adverbGradually and steadily.
More synonyms by meaning
adverbin a gradual manner
adverbproceeding in steps
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Ancient Greek βάδην
- βάδην (bádēn)gradually
Arabic خُطْوَةً خُطْوَةً, خُطْوَةً بِخُطْوَةٍ
- خُطْوَةً خُطْوَةً (ḵuṭwatan ḵuṭwatan)gradually
- خُطْوَةً بِخُطْوَةٍ (ḵuṭwatan biḵuṭwatin)gradually
- مَرْحَلَةً مَرْحَلَةً (marḥalatan marḥalatan)gradually
- شَيْئًا فَشَيْئًا (šayʔan fašayʔan)gradually
- خُطْوَةً فَخُطْوَةً (ḵuṭwatan faḵuṭwatan)gradually
Basque ttaka-ttaka
- ttaka-ttakagradually
Bulgarian стъ́пка по стъ́пка
- стъ́пка по стъ́пка (stắpka po stắpka)gradually
Chinese Mandarin 一步一步, 逐步
- 一步一步 (yībù yībù)gradually
- 逐步 (zhúbù)gradually
Czech krok za krokem
- krok za krokemgradually
Esperanto paŝon post paŝo
- paŝon post paŝogradually
Estonian aste-astmelt
- aste-astmeltgradually
Finnish askel kerrallaan, vähitellen
- askel kerrallaangradually
- vähitellengradually
- asteittaingradually
- askelittaingradually
French pas à pas
- pas à pasgradually
German nach und nach, Schritt für Schritt
- nach und nachgradually
- Schritt für Schrittgradually
- schrittweisegradually
Greek βαθμηδόν, βήμα προς βήμα
- βαθμηδόν (vathmidón)gradually
- βήμα προς βήμα (víma pros víma)gradually
Hungarian lépésről lépésre, lépésenként
- lépésről lépésregradually
- lépésenkéntgradually
Icelandic skref fyrir skref
- skref fyrir skrefgradually
Italian passo a passo, gradualmente
- passo a passogradually
- gradualmentegradually
- poco a pocogradually
- poco per voltagradually
Japanese 一歩一歩, 少しずつ
- 一歩一歩 (ippoippo)gradually
- 少しずつ (sukoshi-zutsu)gradually
Korean 일보일보, 단계별로
- 일보일보 (ilboilbo)gradually
- 단계별로 (dan'gyebyeol-lo)gradually
Latin gradātim, pedetemptim
- gradātimgradually
- pedetemptimgradually
Lithuanian pakopa po pakopos
- pakopa po pakoposgradually
Norwegian Bokmål trinn for trinn
- trinn for trinngradually
Polish krok po kroku
- krok po krokugradually
Portuguese passo a passo, pouco a pouco
- passo a passogradually
- pouco a poucogradually
- de pouquinho em pouquinhogradually
- gradualmentegradually
Romanian pas cu pas
- pas cu pasgradually
Russian шаг за ша́гом, постепе́нно
- шаг за ша́гом (šag za šágom)gradually
- постепе́нно (postepénno)gradually
Scottish Gaelic ceum is ceum, beag air bheag
- ceum is ceumgradually
- beag air bheaggradually
Slovak krok za krokom
- krok za krokomgradually
Spanish paso a paso, de paso en paso
- paso a pasogradually
- de paso en pasogradually
- paso entre pasogradually
- paso ante pasogradually
- paso por pasogradually
Swedish steg för steg
- steg för steggradually
Turkish adım adım, yavaş yavaş
- adım adımgradually
- yavaş yavaşgradually
Ukrainian крок за кро́ком
- крок за кро́ком (krok za krókom)gradually
Welsh cam a cham, o gam i gam
- cam a chamgradually
- o gam i gamgradually
Cite this entry
step by step. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/step%20by%20step
“step by step.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/step%20by%20step. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “step by step,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/step%20by%20step.
Source: step by step on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.