becoming devoid

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "becoming devoid" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a process of losing something, typically an essential quality or characteristic. Example: "As the years went by, the once vibrant community was becoming devoid of its original spirit and enthusiasm."

✓ Grammatically correct

Wiki

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

On August 16, after becoming devoid of any convection, it was downgraded into tropical depression status on August 16.

Wikipedia

Increasing wind shear led to the center becoming devoid of convection and the system eventually weakened to a tropical depression on August 13.

Wikipedia

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

Labour will be presented with a choice: to either push itself somewhere new – or, with the coalition so attached to its "no alternative" message, be complicit in the Westminster ritual becoming dangerously devoid of meaning.

The Guardian

Along with his friend Eugene Ionesco, who was to immortalize the portrait of official doublespeak as "rhinoceritis," Sebastian understood what a violent instrument of betrayal language can be: "Later, much later," he writes, "a study may be written about a strange phenomenon of these times: namely, the fact that words are losing their meaning, becoming weightless and devoid of content".

The New York Times - Books

Okwui Enwezor, the Nigerian-born artistic director of Documenta 11, in Kassel, Germany, in 2002, wrote a remarkably mordant essay for the Istanbul catalogue, in which he suggests that contemporary art spaces risk becoming "incubators of amnesia," devoid of historical recall.

The New Yorker

Her bronze sculptures based on childhood memories are so cute, kitschy, and innocent-seeming that they becoming fascinatingly off-putting so devoff-putting soitical that they are imbuedevoid it.

Vice

Wang Chien-Chuang, the president of The Reporter, said that politics in Taiwan was becoming more mean-spirited, personal, and devoid of issues.

The New York Times

Let's do another bump!! Have I told you about my idea for a board game??" Of course, not everyone turns into a big sentient clenched jaw after half a gram – lots of us can do cocaine without becoming self-obsessed or arrogant or devoid of all self-awareness.

Vice

Let's do another dump!! Have I told you about my idea for a board game??" Of course, not everyone turns into a big sentient clenched jaw after half a gram lots of us can do cocaine without becoming self-obsessed or arrogant or devoid of all self-awareness.

Vice

I like excitement, too, but I feel that we've been burned before by designer enthusiasms that come to ignore the collective; for example, the evolution of the International Style into inhumane housing for the masses, or the seminal ideas of post-modernism becoming cheap appliqués on ill-conceived boxes devoid of meaning or elegance.

The New York Times - Arts

After 40 years promoting a movement devoid of scientific evidence, anti-porn activists are becoming increasingly desperate for ways to persuade the unconvinced public that sex on film is our greatest cultural threat.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "becoming devoid", ensure the context clearly indicates what is being lost or lacked. For example, "The argument was becoming devoid of factual basis."

Common error

Avoid using "becoming devoid" when something is merely decreasing, not entirely lacking. Use a phrase like "becoming less filled" or "losing some of its..." if the subject isn't completely empty.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "becoming devoid" functions as a gerund phrase, often acting as a subject complement or part of a predicate. As Ludwig points out, it describes a process of losing something essential, indicating a transformation toward a state of lacking.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Wiki

50%

Science

0%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "becoming devoid" is a grammatically sound gerund phrase used to describe the process of something losing an essential quality. As evidenced by Ludwig, it appears in varied contexts, primarily in news and wiki sources. Although "becoming devoid" is correct, it is considered rare. Ludwig AI confirms its usability, indicating it is a suitable choice for expressing a decline or loss in written English. When employing this phrase, ensure the context makes clear the nature of the loss and that the subject is in fact nearly or entirely devoid of a key characteristic.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

becoming absent of

Emphasizes absence, slightly more formal and less common than "devoid".

progressively losing

Stresses the gradual nature of the loss, less absolute than "devoid".

losing all

Focuses on the complete loss of something, differing in emphasis on the ongoing process.

being stripped of

Highlights the removal of something, often by an external force, changing the active/passive voice.

starting to lack

Indicates the beginning of a deficiency, less severe than being "devoid".

being emptied of

Suggests a physical or metaphorical emptying, changing the imagery.

devolving into a lack of

Focuses on a negative progression towards deficiency, more verbose.

gradually losing all trace of

Emphasizes the disappearance of something over time, adding a temporal element.

morphing into emptiness

Emphasizes a transformation into a state of emptiness, adding a dramatic element.

turning completely barren

Uses the imagery of barrenness to indicate complete lack, altering the metaphorical domain.

FAQs

How can I use "becoming devoid" in a sentence?

Use "becoming devoid" to describe a process where something is losing an essential quality or characteristic, such as "The discussion was "becoming devoid" of any real substance".

What are some alternatives to "becoming devoid"?

Some alternatives include "losing all", "being stripped of", or "becoming absent of", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it correct to say 'becoming devoid of' or should I use another preposition?

"Becoming devoid of" is the correct and standard construction. The preposition "of" is essential to link the process of becoming with the element that is lacking.

What's the difference between "becoming devoid" and "starting to lack"?

"Becoming devoid" implies a near or complete absence, while "starting to lack" indicates the beginning of a deficiency. The former suggests a more advanced stage of loss.