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Progress

n. hopeful, capable register not recorded

What it means

Forward movement toward a goal, improvement, or more developed condition.

Reach for it when naming verified advancement while leaving the remaining distance visible

The latest tests show real progress toward cleaner drinking water.

Words to choose between 9

By register, from playful at the top to literary at the bottom. Tap a word to see when it fits.
playful
everyday
warm
professional

  • playful

    headway

    Fits when visible gains follow resistance or difficulty

    Careful The idiom is informal and says little about the quality of the direction.

  • playful

    strides

    Fits when substantial improvement deserves upbeat language

    Careful The stock phrase can hide uneven or unmeasured results.

  • everyday

    forward movement

    Fits when plain language should emphasize direction

    Careful Movement toward the wrong goal is not meaningful progress.

  • everyday

    improvement

    Fits when quality becomes better than before

    Careful Improvement can occur in one measure while the overall goal remains stalled.

  • warm

    breakthrough

    Fits when one advance overcomes a major barrier

    Careful Breakthrough is too dramatic for steady incremental progress.

  • professional

    advancement

    Fits when movement to a more developed stage is central

    Careful Advancement can mean promotion or status rather than broad improvement.

  • professional

    development

    Fits when capability or complexity grows over time

    Careful Development can be neutral or harmful and is not always progress.

  • professional

    gain

    Fits when a measurable positive change is reported

    Careful One gain may be temporary or offset elsewhere.

  • professional

    momentum

    Fits when progress is continuing and becoming easier to sustain

    Careful Momentum is a rate or tendency, not the gains already achieved.

Opposites 4

  • regress
  • stagnation
  • setback
  • deterioration

Common phrases 4

  • make progress

    The group began to make progress once each unresolved decision had an owner.

  • steady progress

    Steady progress continued even when no single week looked dramatic.

  • sign of progress

    The shorter waiting time was a sign of progress, not proof of equal access.

  • measurable progress

    The survey found measurable progress in water access across all five districts.

Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Dvortygirl, American accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Updated