a massive surplus

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a massive surplus" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a situation where there is an abundance or excess of something, often in economic or resource contexts. Example: "The government reported a massive surplus in the budget this fiscal year, allowing for increased funding in public services."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

11 human-written examples

Nats under public ownership produced a massive surplus for the Treasury in every year".

The Guardian

In fact, over the course of 400 years, the farms of the Senegambia region needed to produce a massive surplus of food to provision the slave trade.

The New York Times

This time though, the government is running a massive surplus, with a rainy-day fund of $3.5bn collected from oil largesse that can't be touched until 2017, among other funds.

The Guardian - Business

This easily causes a massive surplus, which then leads to overloaded inventories.

TechCrunch

The net has created a massive surplus and removed the scarcity pricing that worked in favor of content providers in the old days".

Forbes

Last year we had a massive surplus.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

49 human-written examples

Despite the success of its fiscal stimulus and a massive trade surplus with the U.S. ($300 billion in 2008), China prevents the renminbi (RMB) from appreciating by aggressively buying surplus dollars, artificially pegging the exchange rate at about 6.8 RMB to the dollar.

Forbes

JAPANESE households used to be among the world's biggest savers and, as a result, the country ran a massive trade surplus.

The Economist

U.S. Inc. enjoys a massive trading surplus on a global scale.

Forbes

Japan, with low rates and a massive trade surplus versus the U.S., nevertheless has seen the yen weaken against the dollar.

Forbes

When George Bush took office from Bill Clinton we had a massive budget surplus.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "a massive surplus" to convey not just an overage, but an overage that is significant and noteworthy.

Common error

While "a massive surplus" is acceptable, its formal tone might be out of place in casual conversation. Opt for simpler alternatives like "a lot extra" or "way too much" in informal settings.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a massive surplus" functions primarily as a noun phrase, where "massive" modifies the noun "surplus". As Ludwig AI indicates, this phrase is often used to describe an abundant quantity, particularly in economic contexts.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

70%

Formal & Business

20%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Science

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "a massive surplus" is a grammatically sound phrase used to describe a significant overabundance, primarily in economic or resource-related contexts. Ludwig AI confirms that its usage is correct. While not overly common, it's frequently found in news and business writing, indicating a neutral to formal register. When seeking alternatives, consider phrases like "a substantial excess" or "a huge overabundance" to convey similar meanings. When using "a massive surplus", ensure the formal tone aligns with the overall context of your writing. Overall the advice is to consider the context of your writing and be aware of the different alternatives to use.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a substantial excess

Replaces "massive" with "substantial", indicating a large but perhaps not overwhelming surplus.

a huge overabundance

Uses "overabundance" to emphasize the excess and replaces "massive" with "huge" for impact.

an enormous surplus

Uses "enormous" to convey the sheer scale of the surplus, emphasizing its size.

a significant surplus

Replaces "massive" with "significant", suggesting the surplus is noteworthy or important.

a sizable surplus

Replaces "massive" with "sizable", suggesting that the surplus is fairly large.

a considerable excess

Employs "considerable" instead of "massive", implying a surplus of a notable size.

a large surplus

Simplifies the phrase by using "large" instead of "massive", providing a more general description.

surplus abundance

Rearranges the original words of the phrase to alter the emphasis slightly, but retains the core meaning.

a glut

This is a short and impactful one-word alternative to the QUERY, indicating oversupply.

a plethora

This indicates a very high quantity, but doesn't specify the extra nature of it.

FAQs

How can I use "a massive surplus" in a sentence?

You can use "a massive surplus" to describe an overabundance of something, often in a financial or resource context. For example, "The country reported "a massive surplus" in agricultural production this year".

What are some alternatives to saying "a massive surplus"?

Alternatives include "a substantial excess", "a huge overabundance", or "a significant surplus", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it correct to say "a massive surplus", or should I use a different adjective?

Saying "a massive surplus" is grammatically correct and widely understood. However, the best adjective depends on the specific context and the degree of emphasis you want to convey. Other adjectives like "substantial", "significant", or "large" may also be appropriate.

What's the difference between "a massive surplus" and "a large surplus"?

While both phrases describe an excess, "a massive surplus" implies a greater quantity or impact than "a large surplus". "Massive" suggests a more overwhelming or noteworthy abundance.