greatly surpassing

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "greatly surpassing" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe something that exceeds or goes beyond a certain level or standard significantly. Example: "The athlete's performance this season has been greatly surpassing all previous records."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

Roku, the digital streaming business, had a huge first earnings report, greatly surpassing analyst expectations.

TechCrunch

As we discussed when looking at the new mobile service economy,  driverless cars would bring new levels of passenger comfort, greatly surpassing those of airlines.

TechCrunch

On the other hand, the usage of HTML5 concepts like WebWorkers and WebSockets gave the opportunity for client-side agents to "spread" over enormous number of client browsers, with the number of instances greatly surpassing the number of server-side instances.

Vietnam Journal of Computer Science

Note, however, that ocean acidification in hypoxic, CO2-enriched coastal systems will lead to peaks in pCO2 of 2000 4000 μatm within this century, thus greatly surpassing expected changes in the pelagic, open ocean (Feely et al. 2008; Melzner et al. 2013).

Evolutionary Applications

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

"They greatly surpassed our expectations," she said.

The New York Times

Although not as sugary and spicy as Seckel, or as luscious as Comice, Bartlett greatly surpasses D'Anjou, the most common fresh pear, in eating quality.

The New York Times - Food

In some cases, Mr. Jonas said, the fan loyalty derived from online efforts greatly surpasses the attention earned through traditional media appearances, at a fraction of the cost.

The New York Times - Tech

Francis Ratnieks, a professor of apiculture at Sussex University who has worked on the state's almond farms, says the crop is so large and intensively grown these days that it has greatly surpassed the region's inherent ability to supply pollinators.

The Economist

Modern aqueducts, although lacking the arched grandeur of those built by the Romans, greatly surpass the earlier ones in length and in the amount of water they can carry.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Macedonia was annexed by Rome in 148 A.D., but what recent discoveries reveal is that Macedonian realism greatly surpassed the Roman version for the subtlety of its psychological probe.

The New York Times - Arts

As shown in Fig. 8, the photocatalytic activity of the present Fe2O3/BiVO4 greatly surpassed that of Co3O4/BiVO4.

Nano-Micro Letters

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "greatly surpassing" to emphasize a significant difference or improvement. Ensure the context makes it clear what is being surpassed.

Common error

Avoid using "greatly surpassing" when a simpler term like "exceeding" or "surpassing" would suffice. Overusing "greatly" can make your writing sound exaggerated or unnatural.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "greatly surpassing" functions as an adverbial modifier enhancing the verb, indicating the extent to which something exceeds a certain level or expectation. Ludwig confirms its correct usage.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "greatly surpassing" is used to convey a significant degree of exceeding expectations or a previous state. Ludwig AI confirms that the phrase is grammatically correct and usable in written English. It is more common in scientific and news contexts, emphasizing a substantial difference. While there are several alternatives like "significantly exceeding" or "vastly exceeding", it's important to choose the phrasing that best fits the context and desired emphasis. Overusing "greatly" might sound exaggerated, so consider a simpler term where appropriate.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

significantly exceeding

Replaces "greatly" with "significantly", emphasizing the substantial degree of exceeding.

far exceeding

Emphasizes that something goes much further than expected.

considerably outstripping

Uses "outstripping" to suggest overtaking or surpassing in progress or achievement, stronger than "surpassing".

vastly exceeding

Emphasizes the large margin by which something exceeds expectations.

markedly surpassing

Uses "markedly" to highlight a noticeable difference when exceeding.

substantially bettering

Focuses on the improvement aspect of exceeding a previous state.

clearly outperforming

Highlights the superior performance compared to others.

exceeding by a wide margin

More descriptive, emphasizing the extent of exceeding.

surpassing by a large degree

More descriptive, emphasizing the extent of exceeding.

outdoing considerably

Informal alternative, suggesting a competitive aspect of surpassing.

FAQs

How can I use "greatly surpassing" in a sentence?

Use "greatly surpassing" to describe something that significantly exceeds expectations or a previous level. For instance, "The company's profits were "greatly surpassing" initial projections."

What are some alternatives to "greatly surpassing"?

You can use alternatives such as "significantly exceeding", "far exceeding", or "vastly exceeding" depending on the context and the degree of emphasis you want to convey.

Is "greatly surpassing" formal or informal?

"Greatly surpassing" is generally considered a neutral to formal expression suitable for business, academic, or news contexts. Simpler alternatives might be preferred in very informal settings.

What's the difference between "greatly surpassing" and "slightly surpassing"?

"Greatly surpassing" indicates a large difference or improvement, while "slightly surpassing" suggests only a small margin of difference. The choice depends on the actual degree of difference you want to describe.