inching
Moving almost imperceptibly
Inching is moving very slowly, in tiny increments—as if measuring progress in inches rather than feet or miles.
Traffic inches forward in a jam.
A climber inches along a narrow ledge.
The word emphasizes painstaking, gradual progress: We're inching closer to a deal, The deadline is inching nearer.
Lacking in speed
- creepingMoving slowly, stealthily
- crawlingMoving on hands, knees
- edgingDecorative border material
- nudgingLight push to prompt
incremental · bit-by-bit · step-by-step · progressive · plodding · glacial · snail-paced · leisurely
Moving slowly, stealthily
- sneakingMoving to avoid detection
- tiptoeingWalking on foot-fronts
- prowlingMoving stealthily while hunting
- slinkingMoving with furtive stealth
skulking · furtive · stealthy · surreptitious · covert · lurking · stalking · sliding
One who governs
- tapeAdhesive strip on roll
- calipersAdjustable-jaw measuring device
- millimeterThousandth of a meter
- centimeterMetric length unit
fraction · precision · calibration · micrometer · graduations · marking · scale · tolerance
Moving in forward direction
- gainingObtaining or increasing
- progressingMoving toward completion
- closingFinal stage of something
- nearingGetting progressively closer
approaching · headway · forward · momentum · ground · breakthrough · milestone · improvement
Uncertain and provisional
- hesitantSlow to act
- waryGuardedly alert
- carefulExercising caution and attention
- guardedWary and restrained
gingerly · delicate · circumspect · prudent · timid · apprehensive · meticulous · deliberate
slow
Lacking in speed
nudging · incremental · bit-by-bit · step-by-step · progressive · plodding · glacial · snail-paced · leisurely · unhurried
creeping
Moving slowly, stealthily
- sneakingMoving to avoid detection
- tiptoeingWalking on foot-fronts
- prowlingMoving stealthily while hunting
slinking · skulking · furtive · stealthy · surreptitious · covert · lurking · stalking · sliding · gliding
ruler
One who governs
- tapeAdhesive strip on roll
- calipersAdjustable-jaw measuring device
- millimeterThousandth of a meter
centimeter · fraction · precision · calibration · micrometer · graduations · marking · scale · tolerance · clearance
advancing
Moving in forward direction
- gainingObtaining or increasing
- progressingMoving toward completion
- closingFinal stage of something
nearing · approaching · headway · forward · momentum · ground · breakthrough · milestone · improvement · stride
tentative
Uncertain and provisional
guarded · gingerly · delicate · circumspect · prudent · timid · apprehensive · meticulous · deliberate · conservative
- forward motionwalking, running, jogging, sprinting, marching
- locomotionwalking, running, crawling, swimming, flying
- setbacksfailing, back to square one, stuck, losing, stumbles
- slownessslow, sluggish, leisurely, unhurried, crawl
- stealthsneak, ninja, creep, spy, skulk
- gradual motioncrawling, creeping, drifting, gliding, sliding