imperceptibly

adverb

as in fractionally

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of imperceptibly An old window sash can sag almost imperceptibly and leak warm air out of the top. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 5 Sep. 2026 The continuous rails bend so imperceptibly that passengers feel nothing more than a smooth, butter-like glide across the water. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 31 Aug. 2026 The eggs are drizzled, almost imperceptibly, with honey that gives the dish fabulous depth. — Warren Rojas, Washington Post, 19 Aug. 2026 Inflammation triggered by obesity gums up these actions, causing both blood sugar and cholesterol levels to rise silently, gradually, and imperceptibly, causing harm. — Literary Hub, 17 Aug. 2026 The nanobubbler system — essentially imperceptibly small bubbles meant to oxygenate the water and choke off algae growth — had never been tested at this scale on a public monument before deployment. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 2 July 2026 Progress continued, if slowly and imperceptibly, from that point forward. — Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic, 29 June 2026 Something internal shifted, almost imperceptibly but irreversibly. — Chiara Barzini, Vogue, 9 May 2026 They'd be heralded not by rippling explosions or flash frozen corpses floating against a tapestry of stars, but instead by oxygen, almost imperceptibly slipping away or radiation slowly accumulating in our cells over years. — Alan Bradley, Space.com, 8 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imperceptibly
  1. fractionally
  2. progressively
  3. slowly
  4. increasingly
Adverb
  • The homebuilder gained nearly 4%, while Berkshire Hathaway was fractionally higher.
    — Sarah Min,Darla Mercado, CFP®, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2026
  • In the decade between 2026 and 2016, data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the hours men spend on household activities have fractionally increased, while the hours carried out by women have slightly decreased.
    — Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of fractionally
Adverb
  • The Phillies’ 2022 World Series loss to the Houston Astros began a streak of five straight postseason appearances with progressively quicker exits — the NL Championship Series, two NLDS exits and now the wild-card loss.
    — Charles Odum, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Philadelphia’s 2022 World Series loss to Houston began a streak of five straight postseason appearances with progressively quicker exits — the NL Championship Series, two NLDS exits and now the wild-card loss.
    — Charles Odum, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of progressively
Adverb
  • Everyone must be ready for anything, and as 100 becomes 50, the kitchen slowly empties and the competition intensifies until one cook eventually walks away victorious.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026
  • That was written for a world where the consequences of misplaced trust arrived slowly enough to correct.
    — Bob Ackerman, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of slowly
Adverb
  • Military drone incursions have become increasingly common across Europe since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale of invasion of Ukraine, and the incident served as a reminder of the Baltic state’s vulnerability.
    — Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 9 Oct. 2026
  • After an opening medley that spans New Orleans jazz and bounce, the record’s signposts grow increasingly fuzzy.
    — Stephen Kearse, Pitchfork, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of increasingly

Browse Nearby Words

imperceptible
imperceptibly
imperceptive
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Imperceptibly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imperceptibly. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All