severely irregular

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "severely irregular" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe something that deviates significantly from the norm or expected pattern, often in a negative context. Example: "The patient's heartbeat was found to be severely irregular, prompting immediate medical attention."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

"They are gray areas, and I would not say it is severely irregular," he said.

The New York Times

"The classes of people that need to be evaluated," she said, "are children with early signs of pubertal development, young women with excess body or facial hair, anyone with acne that's not responding to normal treatments, those with severely irregular menstrual periods, and those with fertility problems".

The New York Times

77 78 Further subclassification of the type VI pattern to mildly irregular and severely irregular has been proposed owing to a marked difference in malignancy incidence between the two groups (7 17% and 56 85%, respectively).

Gut

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

The phase symmetry and regularity were considered as severely asymmetry and irregular if the voice was too poor for stroboscopic image.

Plosone

Stateless individuals in Israel have severely compromised and irregular access to national health insurance and social services.

BMC International Health and Human Rights

The displaced liver was severely enlarged, with irregular margins, whitish and increased in consistency, suggestive of marked capsular fibrosis (Fig.  1e).

BMC Veterinary Research

Convergence of truncation errors severely degrades on general irregular grids.

Applied Numerical Mathematics

Scanning electron micrograph (SEM) revealed that as compared with those in wild-type plants, more than 50% of the pollen grains from amiR-atpv42b-1 were severely shrunken and of irregular shapes at the anthesis stage (Figure 4A, B, Table S1).

Plosone

Furthermore, the severely thickened stalk and irregular pits visible in a magnified image of the depressed area combined to suggest direct invasion of the deep submucosa [ 9].

BMC Gastroenterology

Due to the limited number of individuals of each species on the plot, trees were selected non-randomly and to represent the full range of diameters present, excluding very irregular stems or severely leaning individuals.

Annals of Botany

However, Lfng−/− mice display severely disorganised, truncated axial skeletons with irregular and fused vertebrae and vertebral bodies that rarely align to the midline [17], [18].

Plosone

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing data or patterns, ensure the context is clear. For instance, specify what the "severely irregular" pattern is deviating from to avoid ambiguity.

Common error

While "severely irregular" is acceptable, overuse can make writing sound repetitive. Vary vocabulary by using synonyms such as "highly anomalous" or "markedly erratic" to enhance readability and maintain audience engagement.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "severely irregular" functions as an adverb-adjective combination, modifying a noun to describe the extent and nature of its irregularity. This is supported by Ludwig, which identifies the phrase's grammatical correctness and usage in contexts ranging from medical observations to data analysis.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

67%

News & Media

33%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "severely irregular" is a grammatically sound and usable expression that functions as an adverb-adjective combination, used to describe a significant departure from the norm. As Ludwig confirms, while versatile, it appears more frequently in scientific and news contexts. When employing this phrase, ensure the context is clear, and consider related phrases like "highly anomalous" or "markedly erratic" to prevent repetition. Common errors include overuse in formal writing, where diverse vocabulary is preferred.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

highly anomalous

Replaces "irregular" with "anomalous", emphasizing a deviation from the norm or common order; "highly" intensifies the degree of deviation.

grossly abnormal

Substitutes "irregular" with "abnormal" to highlight a departure from the typical or healthy state; "grossly" suggests a significant or conspicuous level of abnormality.

markedly erratic

Uses "erratic" instead of "irregular", focusing on unpredictable or inconsistent behavior; "markedly" indicates a noticeable extent of the erratic nature.

extremely inconsistent

Replaces "irregular" with "inconsistent" to emphasize a lack of uniformity or predictability; "extremely" amplifies the degree of inconsistency.

distinctly atypical

Employs "atypical" in place of "irregular", highlighting a departure from the typical or standard; "distinctly" emphasizes the clearness and recognizability of the atypical nature.

significantly divergent

Uses "divergent" instead of "irregular", focusing on the act of moving in different directions from a standard; "significantly" indicates a substantial degree of divergence.

considerably skewed

Substitutes "irregular" with "skewed" to suggest a lack of symmetry or balance; "considerably" indicates a substantial degree of skewness.

seriously deranged

Replaces "irregular" with "deranged" to imply a disturbance in arrangement or function; "seriously" emphasizes the importance or extent of the derangement.

badly distorted

Employs "distorted" in place of "irregular", highlighting a change in the original shape or form; "badly" emphasizes the severe nature of distortion.

greatly deformed

Uses "deformed" instead of "irregular", highlighting the state of being misshapen; "greatly" indicates the severity or extent of the deformation.

FAQs

How can I use "severely irregular" in a sentence?

You can use "severely irregular" to describe something that deviates significantly from the expected norm. For example, "The patient's heartbeat was found to be "severely irregular", prompting immediate medical attention."

What are some alternatives to "severely irregular"?

Depending on the context, you could use alternatives like "highly anomalous", "markedly erratic", or "grossly abnormal". Each of these emphasizes a different aspect of the deviation from the norm.

Which is correct, "severely irregular" or "severely unregular"?

"Severely irregular" is the correct and commonly used phrase. "Unregular" is not a standard word in English, making ""severely irregular"" the grammatically sound choice.

Is "severely irregular" appropriate for formal writing?

Yes, "severely irregular" can be used in formal writing, especially in scientific or technical contexts. However, consider the specific nuance you want to convey and whether alternatives like "highly anomalous" or "markedly erratic" might be more precise.