Inch by inch Meaning in English
expression
ˈɪntʃ/ /ˈbaɪ/ /ˈɪntʃ
INCH by INCH
ˈɪntʃ/ /bˈaɪ/ /ˈɪntʃ
INCH by INCH
Definition
Doing something very slowly and gradually, making only a little progress at a time.
Usage & Nuances
Commonly used to describe slow but steady progress. Often appears in motivational contexts: 'inch by inch, step by step.' Usually in informal or neutral language; not literal—doesn’t refer to inches for measurement. Similar to 'little by little' or 'bit by bit.'
Spanish: poco a poco - paso a pasoPortuguese (BR): pouco a pouco - passo a passoPortuguese (PT): pouco a pouco - passo a passoChinese (Simplified): 一点一点地 - 慢慢地Chinese (Traditional): 一點一點地 - 慢慢地Hindi: धीरे-धीरे - एक-एक इंच करकेArabic: شويًّا شويًّا - خطوة بخطوةBengali: অল্প অল্প করে - ধাপে ধাপেRussian: шаг за шагом - понемногуJapanese: 少しずつ - 一歩一歩Vietnamese: từng chút một - dần dầnKorean: 조금씩 - 한 발 한 발Turkish: yavaş yavaş - adım adımUrdu: تھوڑا تھوڑا کر کے - آہستہ آہستہIndonesian: sedikit demi sedikit - perlahan-lahan
Example Sentences
We climbed the mountain inch by inch.
basic
The plant grew inch by inch each day.
basic
He learned English inch by inch.
basic
We made progress on the project, inch by inch, even when things felt slow.
natural
After the accident, she recovered inch by inch, never giving up hope.
natural
Sometimes, the only way to reach your goal is inch by inch.
natural