a weak increase

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a weak increase" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a slight or minimal rise in a particular measurement or statistic. Example: "The report indicated a weak increase in sales over the last quarter, suggesting that the market is still recovering."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

59 human-written examples

As the number of ingredients increases, there is a weak increase in the tastiness of a sandwich.

The Guardian

Only PFNA led to a weak increase in DNA damage at cytotoxic concentrations.

Environmental Sciences Europe

On the other hand, a weak increase in the influence of the user social status is beneficial for the consensus.

Computational Social Networks

There is also a weak increase in P-wave anisotropy laterally away from the short-axis, and vertically towards the surface.

Petroleum Science

Meanwhile, the perpendicular coercivity has a weak increase at a mild thermal treatment from 200 to 400 °C and a dramatic increase after annealing at 600 °C.

Electrochimica Acta

There is a compromise between the increase in local contrast and rendition of the image: a strong increase in local contrast leads to artefacts, whereas a weak increase in local contrast does not provide the expected improvement of detail visibility.

EURASIP Journal on Image and Video Processing

ETG in November with the lowest ET0 of the unfrozen period is found to be 1.0 mm/d, which is slightly smaller than qin, thus results in a weak increase in water table.

Journal of Hydrology

For C/O= 1.4→0.6, the Arrhenius plots show two straight segments, a steep increase in the formation rate from ∼630 to ∼710∘C and a weak increase from ∼725 to ∼1000∘C.

Chemical Engineering Science

When ΔT > 95 min, the correlation coefficient basically keeps unchanged and only has a weak increase, suggesting that the IBIPS is mainly determined by the convection electric field represented by instantaneous Kp.

Advances in Space Research

The low rate of modification, essentially at chain extremities, leads to the molar mass per crosslinked unit (Mc) being practically constant and thus to a weak increase of Tg whatever the n value.

Polymer

Also in this case, we can speculate that the gradual saturation of cellular matrices with Cd ions may have displaced Zn ions leading to a transient increase in the activity of the free Zn forms that, in turn, was only partially counterbalanced by a weak increase in the amount of Zn ions immobilized with thiol compounds in the LMW complexes (Additional file 1: Figure S3, Tables S3 and S4).

Rice

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "a weak increase", provide context to clarify the significance (or lack thereof) of the increase. This helps the reader understand the implications of the data or trend being described.

Common error

Avoid using "a weak increase" when a more substantial rise is evident. Overstating its importance can mislead readers. If the increase is minimal, ensure your language reflects that accurately.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a weak increase" functions as a noun phrase, where "weak" is an adjective modifying the noun "increase". It describes the quality of the increase, indicating its limited magnitude. As Ludwig AI confirms, this phrase is both grammatically correct and widely usable.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

88%

News & Media

6%

Formal & Business

6%

Less common in

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "a weak increase" is a grammatically sound and frequently used phrase to describe a minimal rise. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, it is widely applicable across various contexts, although predominantly found in scientific literature. When employing this phrase, it's crucial to provide sufficient context to accurately reflect the limited impact of the increase. Alternatives like ""a slight rise"" or ""a marginal growth"" can offer subtle variations in emphasis. However, writers should be cautious of overstating the significance of such increases to avoid misleading interpretations.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a slight rise

Replaces "increase" with "rise", indicating a similar minimal upward trend.

a marginal growth

Substitutes "weak increase" with "marginal growth", emphasizing minimal development.

a modest upturn

Replaces the original phrase with "modest upturn", conveying a gentle positive change.

a small increment

Emphasizes the minimal quantity of the increase by using the word "increment".

a negligible improvement

Highlights the almost insignificant nature of the increase by framing it as a slight "improvement".

a mild escalation

Uses "escalation" to indicate a gradual increase, specifying it is mild.

a limited augmentation

Replaces increase with the more formal augmentation, qualified by limited.

a subtle enhancement

Indicates that the increase is so small that it is difficult to detect.

a fractional gain

Underscores the very small size of the increase, using the word "fractional".

a trickle of growth

Presents the increase as very slow and gradual, like a "trickle".

FAQs

How can I use "a weak increase" in a sentence?

You can use "a weak increase" to describe a slight or minimal rise in something. For example: "The study showed "a weak increase" in student test scores after the new program was implemented".

What are some alternatives to "a weak increase"?

Alternatives include "a slight rise", "a marginal growth", or "a modest upturn", depending on the context and the degree of increase you want to convey.

Is it better to say "a slight increase" or "a weak increase"?

Both phrases are acceptable, but "a slight increase" may sound more natural in some contexts. "A weak increase" emphasizes the lack of strength or impact of the increase.

What does "a weak increase" imply about the data?

It implies that the increase is small, barely perceptible, and may not be statistically significant or practically meaningful. It suggests the change is not substantial or impactful.