big harm

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "big harm" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a significant or serious level of damage or injury caused by an action or event. Example: "The environmental disaster caused big harm to the local wildlife and ecosystem."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

Those little lies can cause big harm, she said.

The Washington Post

Thankfully, this mistake can be fixed before it causes big harm -- either by Congress this year or the administration itself next year.

The Washington Post

Matt Noffs told me that when "Howard launched the tough-on-drugs policy, it was actually a big harm reduction and re-education policy.

The Guardian - Opinion

"This may save steel industry jobs, but this may cause very big harm to the steel consuming industry," said Tadaaki Yamaguchi, the president of JFE Steel America, a Japanese company that supplies steel to its sister company in California, which turns that into small-diameter oil industry pipe.

The Washington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

"The biggest harm he is doing to the country is the way he is reaching power".

The New York Times

My biggest harm I do to myself is I put all this pressure on myself".

The Guardian - Film

"The biggest harm here is that immigration lawyers have traditionally been the only real bridge between immigrants coming to this country and the American dream," Mr. Tarin said.

The New York Times

"You can lose this window of opportunity, and the biggest harm you can do to a child with medulloblastoma is to not cure them when you should be curing them.

Independent

Snowden's biggest harm to US isn't outing secret program, but politically neutering US response to China's far more serious hacking campaign — Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec) 13 Jun 13 There were plenty of accusations on China's lively Weibos, or microblogs, of "hypocrisy" by the United States, the English-language Post reported.

The New York Times

However, the bigger harm is not that we expose ourselves to a collapse, but that we allow ourselves and foreigners to underestimate, even mock, our economic system.

Forbes

The levels of PM2.5 particulates, which can cause the biggest harm to human health, reached as high as 454 on Thursday, the Beijing Municipal Environment Monitoring Centre said on its website.

BBC

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "big harm" when you want to emphasize the significant and impactful nature of the damage or negative consequences resulting from an action or event.

Common error

While "big harm" is understandable, it may sound less formal than alternatives like "significant damage" or "substantial harm" in professional or academic writing. Consider the context and audience when choosing your words.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "big harm" functions as a noun phrase where "big" modifies the noun "harm". Ludwig AI indicates the phrase is grammatically correct and understandable in written English.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "big harm" is a grammatically sound and understandable expression used to convey a significant degree of damage or negative impact. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness. While mostly seen in news and media contexts, its slightly informal tone might warrant considering alternatives like "significant damage" or "substantial harm" in formal settings. The phrase effectively serves to emphasize the magnitude of the harm being discussed.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Serious damage

Emphasizes the severity of the damage caused.

Significant detriment

Focuses on the negative impact or disadvantage created.

Substantial harm

Replaces "big" with "substantial", indicating a considerable amount of harm.

Grave injury

Highlights the severity of the injury inflicted.

Major damage

Uses "major" instead of "big" to denote significant damage.

Considerable damage

Indicates a notable degree of damage.

Severe detriment

Combines the intensity of "severe" with the negativity of "detriment".

Critical harm

Emphasizes the critical nature of the harm.

Extensive damage

Highlights the widespread nature of the damage.

Profound injury

Focuses on the depth and impact of the injury.

FAQs

What does "big harm" mean?

The phrase "big harm" refers to a significant or substantial amount of damage, injury, or negative consequences resulting from an action, event, or situation.

How can I use "big harm" in a sentence?

You can use "big harm" to emphasize the severity of the negative impact, for example: "The oil spill caused "serious damage" / "considerable damage" / "significant detriment" / "substantial harm" to the marine ecosystem."

Are there more formal alternatives to "big harm"?

Yes, alternatives such as ""serious damage"", ""significant detriment"", or ""substantial harm"" may be more appropriate in formal or academic contexts.

Is "big harm" grammatically correct?

Yes, "big harm" is grammatically correct and understandable, though it may be perceived as less formal than some of its alternatives.