Cool MateIncreasingly vs Steadily
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Increasingly
Top 2,000 (common)B2adverb
Steadily
Top 2,000 (common)B2adverb
| Increasingly | Steadily | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/ɪnˈkriːsɪŋli/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ɪnˈkriːsɪŋli/"]/ | 🇬🇧 /["/ˈstedəli/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈstedəli/"]/ |
| Meaning | More and more over time. | Doing something in a consistent and regular way. |
| Example | Tourism is playing an **increasingly important** role in the region's economy | The company's exports have been increasing steadily. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 2,000 (common) | Top 2,000 (common) |
| CEFR level | B2 | B2 |
| Part of speech | adverb | adverb |
| Collocations | increasingly popular, increasingly available, increasingly difficult | grow steadily, progress steadily, increase steadily, work steadily |
| Antonyms | decreasingly | sporadically, intermittently, irregularly |
| Common mistakes | Using 'increased' instead of 'increasingly' (they are different forms), Placing 'increasingly' in incorrect positions within sentences, Confusing 'increasingly' with 'more increasingly' (the latter is incorrect) | Confusing it with 'steady', which is an adjective., Using it where an adverb isn't needed, like 'He is steadily'., Mixing it up with 'steadfastly', which implies strong commitment. |
| Usage notes | Use 'increasingly' to describe something that is becoming more frequent or intense. It's appropriate in both spoken and written contexts, but avoid it in very casual conversations. | Use 'steadily' when describing actions that continue over time without interruption. It's appropriate in both spoken and written English but is less suitable for very casual conversations. |
Frequently asked questions: Increasingly vs Steadily
What's the difference between Increasingly and Steadily?
Increasingly: More and more over time. Steadily: Doing something in a consistent and regular way.
Are Increasingly and Steadily the same CEFR level?
Increasingly: B2, Steadily: B2 on the CEFR scale.
What part of speech are Increasingly and Steadily?
Increasingly: adverb, Steadily: adverb.
Can you show an example of each?
Increasingly: Tourism is playing an **increasingly important** role in the region's economy Steadily: The company's exports have been increasing steadily.
Can I use Increasingly and Steadily interchangeably?
Not always. Increasingly and Steadily are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.