Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
Definition: Little By Little |
Little By LittleAdverb1. A little bit at a time; "the research structure has developed piecemeal". 2. By a short distance; "they moved it by inches". Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Synonyms: Little By LittleSynonyms: bit by bit (adv), by inches (adv), by small degrees (adv), in stages (adv), piecemeal (adv). (additional references) |
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Degree | Adverb: by degrees, gradually, inasmuch, pro tanto; however, howsoever; step by step, bit by bit, little by little, inch by inch, drop by drop; a little at a time, by inches, by slow degrees, by degrees, by little and little; in some degree, in some measure; to some extent; di grado in grado. |
Slowness | Gradually; Adjective: gradatim; by degrees, by slow degrees, by inches, by little and little; step by step, one step at a time; inch by inch, bit by bit, little by little, seriatim; consecutively. |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
Crosswords: Little By Little |
| English words defined with "little by little": Inchmeal ♦ Poco a poco. (references) |
| Specialty definitions using "little by little": Line upon Line. (references) |
| Domain | Usage | |
Screenplays | Little by little the look of the country changes because of the men we admire. (Hud; writing credit: Harriet Frank Jr.; Larry McMurtry) Day by day I erased your face from my mind, little by little, till all I had left was your right ear and three front teeth on the bottom. (The Cheap Detective; writing credit: Neil Simon) | |
Lyrics | Little by little the night turns around. (Set the controls for the heart of the sun; performing artist: Pink Floyd) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | ||
| Author | Quotation |
Aesop | Little by little does the trick. |
Bhagavad Gita | Little by little, through patience and repeated effort, the mind will become stilled in the Self. |
Denis Diderot | We swallow greedily any lie that flatters us, but we sip only little by little at a truth we find bitter. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | |
| Title | Author | Quote |
Les Miserables | Hugo, Victor | Marius had little by little withdrawn Cosette from Jean Valjean. |
Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man | Joyce, James | Then little by little, you will see your way. |
Grapes of Wrath | Steinbeck, John | Little by little the sky was darkened by the mixing dust, and the wind felt over the earth, loosened the dust, and carried it away. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Language | Translations for "little by little"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Afrikaans | stadigaan (gradually, little). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Albanian | pak nga pak (bit by bit, inchmeal, piecemeal), gradualisht (by and by, by degrees, gradually, insensibly). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bulgarian | малко по малко (inchmeal, insensibly), постепенно (bit by bit, by degrees, gradually, inchmeal, insensibly, piecemeal), полека-лека (bit by bit). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Chinese | 緩緩 (slowly, unhurriedly). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Czech | postupnì (as you go along, by degrees, gradually), pomalu (at a slow pace, not fast, slowly). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Danish | gradvis (gradual, gradually), efterhånden (gradually). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dutch | langzamerhand (gradually), zoetjes aan (gradually), geleidelijk, geleidelýk (gradual, gradually). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Esperanto | laŭgrade (gradually), iom post iom (gradually). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Faeroese | við og við (gradually). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Finnish | vähitellen (by and by, by degrees, gradually). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
French | petit petit. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Frisian | stadichoan (gradually), njonkelytsen (gradually), dwaandewei (gradually), allinken (gradually). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
German | nach und nach (bit by bit, by degrees, gradually, in easy stages), ganz allmählich. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hebrew | לאט לאט (bit by bit, gently, very slowly), קמע" קמע", אט אט. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hungarian | lassankint, apránkint, apránként (bit by bit, by driblets, by inches, inch by inch). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Indonesian | berunyai-unyai (gently, softly), berdikit-dikit (be thrifty). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Italian | poco a poco (gradually), a poco a poco. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Japanese Kanji | 漸次 (gradually, slowly), 徐々に (gradually, quietly, slowly, steadily). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Japanese Katakana | す"しずつ, す"しづつ (a little for each, gradually), ぜ"じ (complete recovery, good deed, good thing, gradually, healing, slowly), ぼちぼち (it's getting late, we must be getting off), じょじょに (gradually, quietly, slowly, steadily), て"て" (being passed around repeatedly, dot, here and there, moving from place to place, rolling about, scattered in drops, sporadically, spot). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Lombard | a pòcch a pòcch (gradually). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Manx | veggan as ny veggan (by degrees, gradually), beggan er veggan (gradually, piecemeal, progressive). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pig Latin | ittlelay ybay ittlelay poucoapouco (gradually), pouco a pouco (about, inchmeal, piecemeal). (various references) puţin câte puţin (bit by bit, inch by inch, inchmeal), încetul cu încetul (gradually). (various references) постепенно (bit by bit, by degrees, by step, gradually, insensibly, step by step). (various references) malo po malo (bit by bit). (various references) poco a poco (bit by bit, gently, gradually, piecemeal). (various references) litet i taget, litet i sänder, undan för undan (bit by bit), bit för bit. (various references) azar azar (bit by bit, by degrees, by dribblets, by driblets, by inches, by slow degrees, gradually, in dribs and drabs, inch by inch). (various references) gitdigiзe.Turkmen/English Dictionary 97, az-azdan. (various references) мало-помалу, потрохи. (various references) huhump' iitil (gradually). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Language | Period | Translations |
| Latin | 500 BCE-Modern | particulatim, paulatim, segregatim, unciatim. (various references) |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Language | Date | Source | Exodus Chapter 23, Verse 30 |
| Greek (transliterated) | 250 BC | Septuagint | Kata mikron mikron ekbalw autouV apo sou ewV an auxhqhV kai klhronomhshV thn ghn |
| Latin | 405 | Vulgate | Paulatim expellam eos de conspectu tuo donec augearis et possideas terram |
| Middle English | 1395 | Wyclif | Litil meele Y shal putte hem out fro thi siyt, to the tyme thow be encreesid, and weelde the loond. |
| Renaissance English | 1526 | Tyndale | But a litle and a litle I will dryue them out before the, vntill thou be increased that thou mayst enherett the londe. |
| Jacobean English | 1611 | King James | By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land. |
| Victorian English | 1833 | Webster | By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou shalt be increased and inherit the land. |
| Basic English | 1964 | Ogden | Little by little I will send them away before you, till your numbers are increased and you take up your heritage in the land. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Language | Exodus Chapter 23, Verse 30 |
| Cebuano | Sa hinayhinay pagaabugon ko sila gikan sa atubangan mo, hangtud nga magadaghan ka, ug magapanunod sa yuta. |
| Chinese | 我 要 漸 漸 的 將 他 們 從 面 前 " 出 去 、 等 到 的 人 數 多 、 承 受 那 地 為 業 。 |
| Croatian | Tjerat æu ih ispred tebe malo-pomalo dok ti potomstvo ne odraste, tako da zemlju zaposjedneš. |
| Danish | lidt efter lidt vil jeg drive dem bort foran dig, indtil du bliver så talrig, at du kan tage Landet i Besiddelse. |
| Dutch | Ik zal hen allengskens van uw aangezicht uitstoten, totdat gij gewassen zijt en het land erft. |
| Finnish | vähitellen minä karkoitan heidät sinun tieltäsi, kunnes olet tullut kyllin lukuisaksi ottamaan haltuusi maan. |
| French | Je les chasserai peu peu loin de ta face, jusqu` ce que tu augmentes en nombre et que tu puisses prendre possession du pays. |
| German | einzeln nacheinander will ich sie vor dir her ausstoßen, bis du wächsest und das Land besitzest. |
| Hungarian | Lassan-lassan ûzöm õt ki elõled, míg megszaporodol és bírhatod a földet. |
| Indonesian-Bahasa Sehari-hari | Mereka akan Kuusir sebagian-sebagian, sampai orang-orangmu sudah cukup banyak untuk menduduki tanah itu. |
| Indonesian-Terjemahan Lama | Dengan perlahan-lahan Aku hendak menghalaukan mereka itu dari hadapanmu, sekadar kamu bertambah-tambah dan mempusakai negeri itu. |
| Maori | Ka peia rikirikitia atu ratou e ahau i tou aroaro, kia hua ra ano koe, kia riro ra ano hoki te whenua i a koe. |
| Norwegian | litt efter litt vil jeg jage dem bort fra dig, inntil du blir så stort et folk at du kan ta landet i eie. |
| Portuguese | Pouco a pouco os lançarei de diante de ti, até que te multipliques e possuas a terra por herança. |
| Rumanian | Ci le voi izgoni kncetul cu kncetul dinaintea ta, pknq vei crewte la numqr wi vei putea sq intri kn stqpknirea yqrii. |
| Russian | НБМП- ПНБМХ 'Х"Х ТПЗПОСФШ ЙИ ПФ ФЕ'С, "ПЛПМЕ ФЩ ОЕ ТБЪНОПЦЙЫШУС Й ОЕ ЧПЪШНЕЫШ ЧП ЧМБ"ЕОЙЕ ЪЕНМЙ УЕК. |
| Swedish | utan småningom skall jag förjaga dem för dig, till dess du har förökat dig, så att du kan taga landet till din arvedel. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| 1. Definition 2. Synonyms 3. Crosswords 4. Usage: Modern | 5. Quotations: Familiar 6. Quotations: Fiction 7. Translations: Modern 8. Translations: Ancient | 9. Bible Trace 10. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
