a great fine

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a great fine" is not correct in standard English usage.
It may be intended to refer to a significant penalty or fee, but the correct expression would typically be "a large fine" or "a hefty fine." Example: "The company was hit with a large fine for violating environmental regulations."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Wiki

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

He's a great, fine person.

The New York Times

Crane later wrote that his father, Dr. Crane, "was a great, fine, simple mind," who had written numerous tracts on theology.

Wikipedia

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

A plastic bag filled with 1 tablespoon of white frosting makes a great fine-tipped pastry bag in a pinch.

WikiHow

The English clubs will not take on anyone on that basis and, when Northampton were last month fined £60,000 for allowing the wing George North to insert clause in his contract allowing for release for Wales matches outside official international windows, Premiership Rugby warned that any repeat would not only incur a greater fine but the potential loss of league points.

The Guardian - Sport

SX had a greater fine particle fraction than SS for most of the comparable formulations, probably because of the different cohesiveness of the drugs.

Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

"It is a greater, finer, better thing.

The New York Times

Despite the general similarity of the integral optical properties of the surfaces of Mercury and the Moon, specific characteristics of the media of these celestial bodies manifest themselves as identifiable differences in the details of the measured parameters: Mercury's regolith is smoother than of the Moon, probably contains a greater fines fraction, and has greater maturity.

Advances in Space Research

Yes, I dedicated the novel to Michael Palmer, a great friend, fine thriller writer, and fine human being.

Huffington Post

"If we had been knocked out by a great goal, fine, that's football," Herrera said.

The Guardian - Sport

But not great: fine.

The New York Times

Great, fine.

TechCrunch

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When referring to a financial penalty, use more conventional phrases like "a large fine" or "a substantial fine" for clarity and grammatical correctness.

Common error

Avoid using "great" to describe the size or amount of a fine. "Great" typically denotes quality or admiration, not quantity. Instead, opt for adjectives like "large", "substantial", or "hefty" to accurately convey the magnitude of the fine.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a great fine" is an attempt to describe a penalty, but it deviates from standard English usage. Ludwig AI notes the unidiomatic nature of the expression. While 'fine' functions as a noun, 'great' is typically used to describe quality or significance rather than quantity in this context.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

30%

Wiki

20%

Science

15%

Less common in

Formal & Business

10%

Encyclopedias

10%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "a great fine" is considered grammatically incorrect and is not standard English. Ludwig AI indicates the unidiomatic nature of this phrase, suggesting that more appropriate alternatives exist. When referring to a significant financial penalty, it's best to use phrases like "a large fine", "a substantial fine", or "a hefty fine". While "great" typically denotes quality, adjectives like "large" or "substantial" are more accurate when describing the magnitude of a fine. Although examples can be found in various sources, this does not validate the correctness of the sentence.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a substantial fine

Replaces "great" with a synonym that emphasizes the large amount of the fine.

a large fine

Uses a more common adjective to describe the size of the fine.

a considerable fine

Similar to "substantial", highlighting the noteworthy amount of the fine.

a hefty fine

Implies a significant and burdensome fine.

a significant fine

Emphasizes the importance and impact of the fine.

an enormous fine

Highlights the exceptionally large size of the fine.

a severe fine

Focuses on the strictness and harshness of the fine.

an excellent quality

If the intent was to describe something positive, this phrase captures high quality.

an outstanding attribute

Highlights a particularly positive characteristic.

a remarkable trait

Emphasizes the uniqueness and noteworthiness of a characteristic.

FAQs

What's a more appropriate way to describe a significant financial penalty?

Instead of "a great fine", use phrases like "a large fine", "a substantial fine", or "a hefty fine" to convey the magnitude of the penalty. Consider also "a considerable fine".

Is "a great fine" grammatically correct?

No, "a great fine" is not considered grammatically correct in standard English. It's better to use phrases like "a large fine" or "a substantial fine".

Can "great" be used to describe amounts or quantities?

While "great" can describe the intensity of feelings (e.g., "great joy"), it's not typically used to describe the size or amount of something like a fine. Use adjectives like "large", "substantial", or "considerable" instead.

What are some alternatives to describe something of high quality or excellence?

If you intended to convey high quality, consider using alternatives like "excellent", "outstanding", or "remarkable" depending on the context. Instead of "a great performance", for example, you might say "an outstanding performance".