piecemeal — done gradually or in small parts rather than all at once
Part of speech: ADJECTIVE
Definition: done gradually or in small parts rather than all at once
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈpiːsmiːl/
Example Sentences
- My friend's diet plan was so piecemeal that he lost one gram per month!
- The company's digital transformation proceeded piecemeal due to budget constraints.
- She learned Korean piecemeal by watching K-dramas and eventually became fluent.
piecemeal
ADJECTIVE[/ˈpiːsmiːl/]
done gradually or in small parts rather than all at once
He's renovating the old house piecemeal, one room at a time over many weekends.
Piecemeal work makes the heal real!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Piecemeal originated in Middle English as a compound of 'piece' (a fragment or part) and 'meal' (a time or occasion), derived from Old English mǣl meaning 'time' or 'occasion' rather than food. The word originally denoted something done or consumed one piece at a time, gradually evolving to mean 'gradually' or 'in stages' by the 16th century.
Breakdown
piece (a fragment or portion) + meal (Old English mǣl, meaning 'time' or 'occasion'). The suffix -meal functioned as an adverbial element indicating sequential action or division.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My friend's diet plan was so piecemeal that he lost one gram per month!”
“The company's digital transformation proceeded piecemeal due to budget constraints.”
“She learned Korean piecemeal by watching K-dramas and eventually became fluent.”
“His room cleaning strategy was so piecemeal that by the time he finished one corner, the other corner was messy again!”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
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