low focus

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "low focus" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a state of reduced concentration or clarity, often in contexts related to photography, attention, or mental engagement. Example: "The image was taken with a low focus, making it difficult to discern the details of the subject."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

12 human-written examples

The distracted (low focus, high energy) comprise most managers.

Harvard Business Review

Low focus means that your tendency (not necessarily your ability) to free-associate increases.

MIT Technology Review

The procrastinators (low focus, low energy) dutifully perform routine tasks but fail to take initiative, raise performance levels, or engage with strategy.

Harvard Business Review

Adapted from "The High Cost of Low Focus," by Max H. Bazerman (professor, Harvard Business School), first published in the Negotiation newsletter.

Harvard University

And then after one hour and remember, this is a cuvette experiment, so we're just shining a fairly low focus multiphoton, or 800 nanometer beam into the cuvette to uncage.

Cornell University

If your credit score is low, focus on using less credit and paying down your loans so that you can boost that number.

Forbes

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

48 human-written examples

At Oxford, she and Dr. Low focused on penicillin, which was first used to treat humans in 1941.

The New York Times

The collective's work spans several media, disciplines, and a broad spectrum of cultural registers (high and low) focusing on an oft-forgotten sphere of influence between Slavs, Caucasians, and Central Asians".

The New Yorker

It can maintain low focusing error over a predefined sector-of-interest in the field-of-view (FOV) of the array while adaptively suppressing out-of-sector sources.

Signal Processing

Homozygous version (eGFP-Trf1KI/KI with eGFP-Trf1KI/KI withy—, heterozygoustrongion (eGfocirf1+/Kintensityockdown for TRF1 (sheterozygous low foci intensity—were used to versione this system (Supplementary Fig S7B).

EMBO Molecular Medicine

Null mice had the fewest ATRX-positive foci per cell and the lowest focus intensity, and R306C mice had an intermediate number of ATRX-positive foci per cell and focus intensity.

eLife

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing a lack of specific detail or clarity, "low focus" can be useful. For example, "The project suffered from a "low focus" on user needs" indicates a general neglect rather than complete absence.

Common error

Avoid using "low focus" when a more precise term like "lack of clarity" or "poor targeting" would better convey the intended meaning. "Low focus" is broad; specificity enhances communication.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "low focus" primarily functions as a descriptive phrase, modifying a noun to indicate a reduced level of attention, clarity, or intensity. Ludwig AI indicates it describes a state of reduced concentration.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

34%

Science

33%

Academia

17%

Less common in

Formal & Business

8%

Wiki

4%

Science & Research

4%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "low focus" is a versatile descriptor indicating reduced attention, clarity, or intensity. As Ludwig AI confirms, it’s grammatically sound and applicable in various scenarios. While alternatives like "lack of focus" or "diminished focus" exist, "low focus" uniquely conveys a subtle deficiency without necessarily implying complete absence. Use it judiciously, ensuring that it accurately represents the intended meaning, and avoid generalizations. Across authoritative sources like The New York Times and Forbes, it finds frequent use in news, scientific, and academic contexts, solidifying its place as a common and accepted expression.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

diminished focus

Emphasizes the weakening or reduction of focus, almost perfectly interchangeably.

unfocused

A single-word adjective directly describing the state of lacking focus.

weak focus

Suggests a lack of intensity or strength in focus, a nearly direct synonym.

lack of focus

Directly indicates the absence or deficiency of focus, a more negative connotation than "low focus".

inattentiveness

This term focuses on the state of being unable to pay attention.

decreased concentration

This highlights the reduction in mental effort applied to a specific task, similar to but more specific than "low focus".

poor concentration

Describes concentration quality as substandard.

reduced attention span

This alternative directly relates to the duration of attention, differing from "low focus" which is broader.

diffused attention

This alternative implies a dispersed attention rather than a diminished one.

scattered attention

Indicates that attention is spread across multiple things, not concentrated on one.

FAQs

How can I use "low focus" in a sentence?

You can use "low focus" to describe a state of reduced concentration or clarity. For example: "The study suffered from a "low focus" on practical applications." This indicates a lack of emphasis or attention on specific aspects.

What are some alternatives to "low focus"?

Depending on the context, you could use alternatives like "lack of focus", "diminished focus", or "reduced attention span".

Is it correct to say "a low focus" or simply "low focus"?

While grammatically acceptable in some contexts, "low focus" generally functions as a descriptive phrase, so the article "a" is often omitted. For instance, "The project had low focus" is more common than "The project had a low focus."

What is the difference between "low focus" and "shallow focus"?

"Low focus" typically refers to a general lack of concentration or emphasis, while "shallow focus" is a term used in photography to describe a technique where only a small part of the image is in sharp focus.