漸次・漸時|ぜんじzenji[1]atamadaka (head-high)

1. adverb, no-adjectivegradually; slowly; little by little; incrementally

• Synonym徐々にじょじょにNeutralCommon in everyday use; stresses slow, gradual change. More down-to-earth than the written 「漸次」.
• Synonym次第にしだいにNeutralStresses things changing little by little as time passes; at home in both speech and writing.
• SynonymだんだんNeutralColloquial and the commonest everyday choice; stresses 'more and more'. More casual than 「漸次」.
• Synonym少しずつすこしずつNeutralCommon in daily use; stresses that each amount or step is small.
• SynonymじんわりNeutralColloquial mimetic word for something seeping or spreading slowly; also sweat or tears welling up. Carries a felt, sensory nuance.
• SynonymじわっとNeutralColloquial mimetic word stressing something spreading slowly outward; has an emotive, felt quality.
• SynonymじわりNeutralColloquial mimetic word for slow, steady progress made unnoticed, as in 「じわりと効く」.
• RelatedジワジワNeutralColloquial mimetic word stressing something seeping in or closing in slowly, bit by bit.
• RelatedゆっくりNeutralThe most common everyday word; stresses slow speed, with no sense of step-by-step progression.
• Related追々おいおいNeutralMeans doing something step by step later on, as in 「追々説明する」; suits both speech and writing.
• RelatedちびちびNeutralColloquial; stresses taking only small amounts each time, e.g. sipping a drink little by little.
• RelatedぼちぼちNeutralColloquial 'taking it slowly'; also means 'pretty soon, about time to start'. Carries a Kansai flavour.
• RelatedぼつぼつNeutralColloquial mimetic word for gradual progress; also means scattered or here and there, as in 「ぼつぼつ雨が」.
• Antonym即時そくじWrittenWritten/formal word for 'immediately, on the spot' — the direct opposite of gradual 「漸次」.
• Antonym直ちにただちにWrittenWritten/formal 'at once, without delay'; the opposite of 「漸次」's gradual, step-by-step sense.

「漸次」 belongs to official, written prose: it marks step-by-step, gradual implementation, as in 「漸次実施する」. In everyday speech reach for 「だんだん」, 「次第に」 or 「徐々に」 instead. The colloquial mimetic words (じんわり, じわり, ジワジワ) add a felt sense of slow seeping or closing in, while 「即時」 and 「直ちに」 are its written antonyms for 'at once'.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 次第しだいに。段々だんだん。「漸次ぜんじに」の形かたちでも用もちいられる。