in severe need

USAGE SUMMARY

"in severe need" is a correct and usable part of a sentence in written English.
You can use it when you want to emphasize the severity of a need. For example: "The small town was in severe need of medical aid after the hurricane hit."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

21 human-written examples

There are pertinent issues in severe need of addressing, which the above statistics highlight.

The Guardian - Opinion

By now, most of the city's projects are at least fifty years old and in severe need of repair.

The New Yorker

Charm has disappeared from the repertoire, and his seduction technique looks in severe need of a rethink.

Independent

This can result not only in unfair provision but in a distraction from the main purpose of helping those in severe need.

The Guardian - Opinion

What most of us want is better support and care at home, but reductions in budgets have led local authorities to concentrate solely on those in severe need.

The Guardian

And nearly three-quarters of new-markets investments go to areas that the Treasury Department considers to be in severe need.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

39 human-written examples

Of those 68percentt in most severe need, UNRWA aims to provide 80percentt of daily caloric needs (1,675 of an average 2,1000 calories), according to Abu Shawish.

Vice

Consequently, they would reach more distant pasture areas while the residential herds were restricted to their own village grazing territory and were only allowed to graze on neighbouring grounds in times of severe need (Projet SuLaMa 2011).

Pastoralism

"Over £1bn will have been spent on the free schools programme by March 2014, yet on opening, 1 in 4 desks at free schools were empty and fewer than 1 in 5 secondary places are in areas of high or severe need.

The Guardian

Last November the education secretary, Michael Gove, confirmed that an extra £500m would be allocated to more than 100 local authorities experiencing "the most severe need", while in the autumn statement the chancellor, George Osborne, announced a further £600m for local authorities with the greatest pressure on school places.

The Guardian

Would you say it is excellent, very good, good, fair or poor?" They reported that the single-item self-reported question had a sensitivity of 0.75 and a specificity of 0.67 in identifying persons with a severe need for denture care, compared with the clinical examination.

BMJ Open

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "in severe need" to emphasize the urgency or critical nature of a requirement, especially when describing situations where lack of resources or assistance can have significant consequences.

Common error

While acceptable in most contexts, excessive use of "in severe need" in highly formal or academic writing can sound repetitive. Vary your language with synonyms like "critically requires" or "urgently needs" to maintain a professional tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "in severe need" functions as a prepositional phrase, typically modifying a noun or pronoun to describe a state of deficiency or critical requirement. Ludwig examples show it used to describe people, organizations, or places lacking essential resources or assistance.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

48%

Science

28%

Academia

12%

Less common in

Wiki

4%

Encyclopedias

4%

Formal & Business

4%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "in severe need" is a prepositional phrase used to emphasize the urgency and critical nature of a requirement. As analyzed by Ludwig, it's grammatically correct and frequently used across various contexts, including news, science, and academic writing. While highly versatile, it's best used to highlight situations where the lack of resources can lead to significant consequences. When writing, consider diversifying your language with alternatives like ""badly in need"" or "in desperate need" to avoid sounding repetitive in formal contexts. According to Ludwig AI, the phrase is a correct and usable part of a sentence in written English, effectively conveying a critical lack or requirement.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

in desperate need

Indicates a sense of hopelessness and urgency, intensifying the need.

badly in need

Highlights the intensity of the need, suggesting it's urgent and critical.

critically requires

Highlights the crucial and essential nature of what is needed.

in dire straits

Emphasizes a situation of extreme difficulty or danger, highlighting the urgency of the need.

urgently requires

Shifts focus to the action required to fulfill the need, emphasizing immediacy.

gravely requires

Emphasizes the serious and significant nature of the requirement.

in great want

Focuses on the deficiency or lack, highlighting the intensity of the desire.

facing acute shortages

Highlights scarcity and the immediate impact of the need.

in a state of crisis

Highlights that the need comes from a critical situation.

experiencing extreme deficiency

Highlights the fact that what is needed is severely lacking.

FAQs

How can I use "in severe need" in a sentence?

You can use "in severe need" to describe a situation where something is critically lacking, for example, "The hospital was "badly in need" of medical supplies after the earthquake".

What are some alternatives to the phrase "in severe need"?

Alternatives include phrases like "in dire straits", ""badly in need"", or "in desperate need", depending on the specific context and nuance you want to convey.

Is it grammatically correct to say "in severe need of"?

Yes, it is grammatically correct. The phrase "in severe need" is often followed by "of" to specify what is lacking. For example: "The refugees are in severe need of shelter".

What's the difference between "in severe need" and "in great need"?

While both phrases indicate a significant lack, "in severe need" emphasizes a more critical or urgent situation compared to "in great need", which implies a substantial but not necessarily life-threatening deficiency.