Does ようやく mean "gradually"?


ようやく has the following definitions in
[romajidesu](http://www.romajidesu.com/dictionary/meaning-
of-%E3%82%88%E3%81%86%E3%82%84%E3%81%8F.html):

>   1. ( _adv_ ) **finally; at last**  
>  「そっか」ウィリーはようやく納得した。  
>  "Well, OK," Willie finally agreed.
>
>   2. **barely; narrowly; hardly; only just**  
>  ９時２０分の電車にようやく間に合った。  
>  I barely made the 9:20 train.
>
>   3. **gradually; little by little; by degrees**
>
>

I'm wondering, when is the last definition relevant?

For example, consider the following sentence:

> ようやく理解できたんでしょうね。

Should I read it as "he finally understood what he had to do" or "he gradually
understood what he had to do"?




> **ようやく** 理解できたんでしょうね。

In this sentence ようやく means "finally" "at last".

"It seems (s/he) finally understood."

* * *

> I'm wondering, when is the last definition relevant?

Here are a few examples using ようやく in the sense of "gradually":

>   * 人々はようやくに列を乱して*（夏目漱石『趣味の遺伝』）--
> [デジタル大辞泉](https://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/jn/226831/meaning/m0u/)
>   * 寒さもようやくゆるんできた --
> [大辞林](https://kotobank.jp/word/%E6%BC%B8%E3%81%8F-653411)
>   * ようやく秋もたけなわになった _Autumn has gradually ripened._ -- プログレッシブ和英中辞典
>

* sounds pretty old-fashioned.

ようやく as "gradually" is usually used with a verb phrase expressing a change of
state, such as ～～てくる, ～～になる.  
ようやく is not very commonly used in this sense in contemporary Japanese. Some
might say it's an outdated usage.

