alter heavily

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "alter heavily" is not commonly used in written English and may sound awkward.
It could be used in contexts where significant changes or modifications are being discussed, but it is not a standard expression. Example: "The design team decided to alter heavily the original concept to better fit the client's vision."

Science

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

In particular, when the silent objects within the image get damaged, both the feature vectors and number would alter heavily.

EURASIP Journal on Image and Video Processing

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

The song however, was considered the only standout from the album, altering heavily from the pop oriented formula of Music Box.

Wikipedia

Mr. Roark said laboratory managers had significantly altered the heavily wooded property after the 2000 fire, aiming to improve defensive fire tactics and reduce so-called fuel-loads of trees.

The New York Times

This altered how heavily we weighted the expectation of small (0.02%) male genome size.

G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics

For example, the availability of cover [ 25] and scents of mammalian predators [ 26] heavily alter foraging behaviour [ 27] and can change with the season [ 28] or the time of a day [ 29, 30].

BMC Ecology

The trailer focuses pretty heavily on alter ego Carol Danvers' time in the Air Force, along with a reluctant awakening as a superhero, with a little nudging from Fury — who we already know will need her to pay back the favor a few Infinity Stones later.

TechCrunch

We find it extremely unlikely that laser ablation would rapidly alter the polarity of heavily cross-linked actin filaments within stress fibers close to focal adhesions (far from the ablated region), and we do not have any data that would support such option.

eLife

In 1870, Mr. Miller enlarged 200 East 86th Street to its present appearance, adding a Charles Addamansarde mansaroofoof and corner tower (since heavily altered) to what was described in the alteration permit as "stores, billiard saloon and lodge rooms".

The New York Times

The aim of a minimum price would be to alter the cost of heavily-discounted drinks sold in shops and supermarkets.

BBC

While most prices would be unaffected, it could significantly alter the price of heavily-discounted ciders, super-strength lager and cheap spirits.

BBC

They inhabit a world heavily altered by humans.

The New York Times - Science

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing the extent of changes, consider using more common and fluid alternatives like "significantly modify" or "extensively change" instead of "alter heavily" for better clarity and impact.

Common error

Avoid using "alter heavily" excessively in formal or academic writing. While grammatically correct, it can sound awkward and less professional. Opt for stronger, more precise verbs and adverbs to convey the degree of change.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "alter heavily" functions as a verb phrase where "alter" is the verb and "heavily" is an adverb modifying the verb. It describes the manner in which something is changed. Ludwig AI indicates that although grammatically correct, it may sound awkward.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

45%

News & Media

40%

Wiki

15%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "alter heavily" means to change something significantly. While grammatically sound, Ludwig AI points out that it's an uncommon phrase that may sound awkward in certain contexts. More common alternatives like "significantly modify" or "extensively change" might offer better clarity. It's most frequently found in scientific and news-related sources. Therefore, consider the context and desired level of formality when deciding whether to use "alter heavily" or a more conventional alternative. Using more typical language usually leads to a clearer and more effective communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

significantly modify

Replaces "alter" with "modify" and "heavily" with "significantly", indicating a substantial change.

extensively change

Uses "change" instead of "alter" and "extensively" to emphasize the degree of modification.

substantially revise

Employs "revise" in place of "alter" and "substantially" to highlight the significant nature of the change.

drastically transform

Uses "transform" instead of "alter" and "drastically" to convey a complete and significant change.

fundamentally reshape

Replaces "alter" with "reshape" and "heavily" with "fundamentally", indicating a deep and impactful change.

make major adjustments

Substitutes "alter" with "make adjustments" and "heavily" with "major", focusing on the importance of the modifications.

modify to a great extent

Rephrases the sentence structure to convey the idea of significant modification using different words.

change in significant ways

Reorganizes the phrase to emphasize the significant nature of the changes being made.

thoroughly overhaul

Replaces the words with synonyms but maintains that something has been radically changed.

completely rework

Suggests a complete transformation, synonymous to alter but more modern.

FAQs

Is "alter heavily" grammatically correct?

Yes, "alter heavily" is grammatically correct, but according to Ludwig it's not a commonly used phrase. Consider using alternatives like "significantly modify" or "extensively change" for better flow and clarity.

What does "alter heavily" mean?

"Alter heavily" means to change something to a significant degree or to modify it substantially. It implies a major transformation or modification.

Are there situations where "alter heavily" is the best choice of words?

While not always the best choice, "alter heavily" can be used when you want to emphasize the intensity or degree of the change. However, more common alternatives often provide better clarity and readability.

What are some alternatives to "alter heavily" in academic writing?

In academic writing, consider more formal and precise alternatives such as "substantially revise", "fundamentally reshape", or "extensively modify" for enhanced clarity and professionalism.