slowly but surely
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Meaning · English
Progressing steadily, even if at a slow pace
Literally: moving slowly with certainty
Where it’s used:
Used
Widespread English
Sources & notes
Listed on Wikipedia “List of proverbial phrases” (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review. Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-07-30; pending editor spot-check.
Equivalents & related
Common questions
What does “slowly but surely” mean?
Progressing steadily, even if at a slow pace Literally: moving slowly with certainty
Is “slowly but surely” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.
What is the closest equivalent?
“chậm mà chắc” (Tiếng Việt) — near equivalent.