When using the 副詞(ふくし) (adverb)
ますます, it will have the meaning of ‘increasingly’, ‘more and more’, or even ‘to keep (A)ing’. It is used to emphasize continuous trends, and will regularly be seen at the beginning of a sentence.
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良(い)いにおいだね。この匂(にお)いを嗅(か)いでるとますますお腹(なか)が空(す)いてくる。
That smells good, doesn't it? I am going to get more and more hungry if I keep smelling it.
彼女(かのじょ)はますます友達(ともだち)を失(うしな)っていっている。
She is losing more and more of her friends.
年(とし)を取(と)るにつれて、益々(ますます)目(め)が悪(わる)くなっていくよ。
As I get older, my eyes are getting worse.
Occasionally, the kanji form
益々(ますます) will be used. This will not change the nuance at all. The kanji 益(えき) simply means ‘gain’.
Despite sometimes being seen as
益々(ますます), this expression originally comes from the stacking of 増(ま)す, a う - Verb meaning ‘to increase’. Due to this, ますます is most often used to highlight verbs that indicate some sort of change, or with adjectives that can increase in intensity.
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毎日(まいにち)日本語(にほんご)の勉強(べんきょう)をしているので、ますます日本語(にほんご)が話(はな)せるようになってきた。
Because I am studying Japanese everyday, I am able to speak more and more.
冬(ふゆ)になってから、ますます涼(すず)しくなった。
Since becoming winter, it has become more and more brisk.
ますます is sometimes translated as ‘less and less’, but this situation is still actually considered as ‘increasing’ (increasingly negative).
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仕事(しごと)が忙(いそが)しくて、ますます子供(こども)と過(す)ごす時間(じかん)が減(へ)っていく。
Because work is so busy, I have less and less time to spend with my children.
コロナのせいで観光客(かんこうきゃく)がますます減(へ)って行(い)く。
Because of Covid, the number of tourists becoming less and less.