bit by bit

bit by bit

Incrementally; slowly. You don't have to overhaul your diet overnight—just start making healthier choices bit by bit. It took years, but bit by bit we turned the ramshackle house we'd bought into a home. Information was relayed to us bit by bit, but it was hours before we got the whole story of what had happened

See also: bit, by

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

bit by bit

Also, little by little. Gradually, by small degrees, slowly. For example, The squirrels dug up the lawn bit by bit, till we had almost no grass, or Little by little he began to understand what John was getting at. The first term was first recorded in 1849, although bit in the sense of "small amount" is much older; the variant dates from the 1400s.

See also: bit, by

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

bit by ˈbit

(also little by ˈlittle) a small amount at a time; gradually: We managed to save the money bit by bit over a period of ten years. ♢ Little by little, she began to feel better after her illness.

See also: bit, by

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017