heavily fine

USAGE SUMMARY

"heavily fine" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
You can use it to mean that someone will be issued a severe penalty for an offense or mistake. For example, "The judge heavily fined the driver for breaking the speed limit."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

While the NCAA does not possess the power of the NFL to heavily fine schools for not seriously considering minority candidates, it too must reconcile this problem.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

When the N.F.L. announced that it would heavily fine, and perhaps suspend, players for such hits, Dungy predicted big plays and more yards after the catch would follow because defenders would pull up slightly to avoid drawing a penalty.

The New York Times - Sports

The U.S. Senate introduced the Campus Accountability and Safety Act, which would heavily fine institutions for the failure to report or investigate sexual assaults.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

They were heavily fined by the airlines.

The New Yorker

His estate was temporarily confiscated, and he was heavily fined.

Encyclopedia Britannica

This was done previously – people were prosecuted and heavily fined".

The Guardian - Sport

If the document was filed late, our client could be heavily fined.

The New York Times

Under the special laws, those disobeying the rules could be heavily fined.

The New York Times

Thorpe was given out and Cronje was heavily fined for his gesture to the umpires.

Independent

The courts decided against the executors and Lloyd, who were heavily fined.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Universities who take more students than their quota are heavily fined.

The Guardian - Opinion

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Consider using the passive voice construction "heavily fined" as it is more common and often clearer. For instance, "The company was heavily fined for its pollution violations."

Common error

A common mistake is to omit or obscure who is doing the fining. Always make it explicit who is imposing the "heavily fine", like a specific organization, court, or regulatory body, to avoid ambiguity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "heavily fine" functions as a verb phrase, where "heavily" modifies the verb "fine" to intensify its meaning. It indicates the act of imposing a significant monetary penalty. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

67%

Academia

17%

Encyclopedias

16%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Science

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "heavily fine" is grammatically correct, though less common than its passive form "heavily fined". Ludwig AI validates its correctness. It is used to describe the act of imposing a significant monetary penalty, primarily in formal contexts like news, academia, and encyclopedias. While correct, consider the more prevalent "heavily fined" for broader acceptance. Alternatives include "impose a substantial fine" and "levy a large fine". Using the active form ensures clarity about who is imposing the penalty.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

impose a substantial fine

Replaces "heavily" with "substantial", focusing on the amount of the fine.

levy a large fine

Uses "levy" to emphasize the action of imposing the fine and "large" to describe its size.

issue a hefty fine

Substitutes "heavily" with "hefty", emphasizing the weight or burden of the fine.

slap with a massive fine

Uses "slap with" to create a more informal and forceful image of the fine being imposed.

penalize severely

Shifts the focus to the act of penalizing, using "severely" to indicate the intensity.

exact a heavy penalty

Uses "exact" to emphasize the enforcement of the penalty, and "heavy penalty" as a substitute.

administer a crushing fine

Focuses on the administering of the fine and uses "crushing" to describe the impact.

charge an exorbitant fine

Emphasizes the amount of the fine, using "exorbitant" to indicate it is excessive.

exact a steep payment

Focuses on the enforced payment, describing it as "steep" to indicate its difficulty to pay.

apply a significant surcharge

Replaces "fine" with "surcharge", suggesting an additional charge applied as a penalty.

FAQs

How can I use "heavily fine" in a sentence?

You can use "heavily fine" to describe the act of imposing a large monetary penalty. For example, "The government can "heavily fine" companies for violating safety regulations."

What's the difference between "heavily fine" and "heavily fined"?

"Heavily fine" describes the act of imposing a large fine, while "heavily fined" describes the state of having received a large fine. It's more common to say someone was "heavily fined" rather than saying someone will "heavily fine" someone else.

What can I say instead of "heavily fine"?

You can use alternatives like "impose a substantial fine", "levy a large fine", or "issue a hefty fine" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "heavily fine" or "heavily fined"?

Both phrases are grammatically correct, but "heavily fined" is far more commonly used. "Heavily fine" describes the action of imposing a fine, while "heavily fined" describes the state of having been fined.