becoming increasingly severe

USAGE SUMMARY

"becoming increasingly severe" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
You can use it to describe a situation or condition that is worsening or intensifying over time. For example, "The punishment for this infraction is becoming increasingly severe."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

Yet, as Bailey knows, the fashion world is also a business, and the competitive challenges are becoming increasingly severe.

The New York Times - Style

But the Arctic weather has changed dramatically over the last few decades, becoming increasingly severe.

Huffington Post

Nevertheless dengue continues to circulate and, after a brief period of respite, outbreaks are becoming increasingly severe [3].

Plosone

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

Maritime East Asia is becoming increasingly dangerous.

BBC

Environmental water problems have become increasingly severe, with the coal-water conflict becoming one of the most difficult issues in large scale coal mining regions.

Journal of Environmental Management

Confirmation bias will become increasingly severe.

TechCrunch

Unfortunately, reports of allergic reactions to peanuts are becoming increasingly common, and severe allergic reactions to peanuts can be fatal [ 1].

BMC Plant Biology

This has implications for a changing clinical epidemiology in areas undergoing transition, with older children becoming increasingly at risk of severe clinical outcomes [ 52- 55] but more importantly as communities transition to very low levels of parasite exposure overall malaria morbidity and mortality will decline substantially [ 52, 56].

BMC Infectious Diseases

A Northumbria Police spokesman said Bessie was destroyed after becoming "increasingly distressed" and "causing dangerous and severe obstructions" on a major road.

BBC

The fabrication of electret air filter with robust charge stability towards moisture and oily molecules is becoming increasingly essential due to the severe haze pollution, which is featured with high relative humidity (80 90%) and contains oily components (30 40%); however, this remains an ongoing challenge.

Composites Communications

Today, however, it's becoming increasingly likely that a bout of severe food poisoning may lead to serious illness, complications or even death as a result of a bacterial infection that's become resistant to not just one but often multiple antibiotics.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "becoming increasingly severe", ensure that the context clearly indicates what is worsening. Provide specific details to enhance the impact of your statement.

Common error

Avoid overusing "becoming increasingly severe" in formal contexts; instead, opt for more precise and impactful alternatives such as "escalating rapidly" or "worsening significantly" to maintain a professional tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "becoming increasingly severe" functions as a descriptive phrase. It indicates a gradual intensification of a negative condition. Ludwig confirms its proper usage for illustrating worsening situations.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

30%

Science

30%

Formal & Business

15%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

10%

Wiki

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

"Becoming increasingly severe" is a phrase used to describe situations that are gradually worsening. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and suitability for expressing growing concern about negative conditions. While it's commonly found in news and scientific contexts, it's important to choose more precise alternatives in highly formal writing. Related phrases like "escalating in severity" or "worsening significantly" can offer nuanced ways to express the same idea. Remember to provide specific details to amplify the impact of your statement. With only 3 exact examples in Ludwig, the phrase falls in the category of uncommon

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

escalating in severity

Replaces 'becoming increasingly' with 'escalating in', emphasizing a rapid increase in severity.

growing more critical

Substitutes 'severe' with 'critical', suggesting a more crucial and urgent situation.

intensifying rapidly

Focuses on the speed of the intensification, replacing 'becoming increasingly severe' with a more dynamic description.

worsening significantly

Replaces the original phrase with a more general term 'worsening' and adds 'significantly' to amplify the change.

aggravating substantially

Uses 'aggravating' to indicate a worsening condition and 'substantially' to emphasize the degree of change.

exacerbating markedly

Replaces 'becoming increasingly' with 'exacerbating' for a more formal tone, and 'markedly' emphasizes the noticeable change.

degenerating quickly

Employs 'degenerating' to describe a decline and 'quickly' to highlight the speed of the change.

mounting dangerously

Uses 'mounting' to suggest an accumulation of severity and 'dangerously' to convey risk.

spiraling out of control

Indicates a loss of control as the situation worsens, moving beyond simple severity.

reaching crisis levels

Highlights that the situation has reached a critical point, implying a severe state.

FAQs

How can I use "becoming increasingly severe" in a sentence?

You can use "becoming increasingly severe" to describe situations that are worsening over time. For instance, "The symptoms of the illness are becoming increasingly severe" or "Due to climate change, extreme weather events are "becoming increasingly severe"".

What are some alternatives to "becoming increasingly severe"?

Alternatives include phrases like "escalating in severity", "growing more critical", or "worsening significantly". The best choice depends on the specific context.

Is it better to say "becoming more severe" or "becoming increasingly severe"?

Both phrases are grammatically correct, but "becoming increasingly severe" emphasizes the gradual nature of the worsening condition. "Becoming more severe" is a slightly shorter and more direct alternative.

What does "becoming increasingly severe" imply?

It implies that a situation or condition is not only bad but is also getting progressively worse. The word "increasingly" highlights that the severity is growing over time.