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Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak
CEO of Professional Science Editing for Scientists @ prosciediting.com
severely relies
Grammar usage guide and real-world examplesUSAGE SUMMARY
The phrase "severely relies" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate a strong or critical dependence on something or someone. Example: "The success of the project severely relies on the timely delivery of materials."
✓ Grammatically correct
Science
News & Media
Table of contents
Usage summary
Human-verified examples
Expert writing tips
Linguistic context
Ludwig's wrap-up
Alternative expressions
FAQs
Human-verified examples from authoritative sources
Exact Expressions
1 human-written examples
The k-nearest neighbor (KNN) rule is a classical and yet very effective nonparametric technique in pattern classification, but its classification performance severely relies on the outliers.
Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources
Similar Expressions
58 human-written examples
In a comprehensive hatchet job, Lt. Col. Abraham described the tribunals as severely flawed, relying on intelligence "of a generalized nature - often outdated, often 'generic,' rarely specifically relating to the individual subjects of the CSRTs or to the circumstances related to those individuals' status".
News & Media
The definitions used to classify patients as severely ill relied on data obtained from case-report forms and from a post hoc chart review encompassing the majority of randomized patients.
Science
This approach was severely hampered by relying on sometimes unfounded functional hypotheses as well as by applying wrong statistical assumptions.
Science
Our analysis, albeit severely limited by relying on only one study (Lovell et al. 2013), revealed actually an unfavorable −6.0%% net effect whole body vibration on maximal force in soccer players (effect size = −0.40).
Avoid chastising toddlers severely; try to rely on natural consequences instead, and tell your child what kind of behavior you expect.
Wiki
Several strategies relying on kriging have recently been proposed for adaptively estimating contour lines and excursion sets of functions under severely limited evaluation budget.
"Even if we put aside the direct losses, including casualties, cargoes and infrastructure damage, the tragedy will severely strike the local economy, which heavily relies on the chemical, port and logistics industries," he told China Daily.
News & Media
Overall, the most commonly followed strategy to combine global and local information usually relies on some late fusion method that severely slows down the retrieval process.
Most analysts and many executives agree that the economic model of broadcast television — which relies much more heavily on advertising than cable — is severely fractured.
News & Media
The loss of Syria from Iran's sphere of influence would severely weaken her, and would be a major blow for Hezbollah, which relies on supplies coming in through Syria, rather than by sea.
News & Media
Expert writing Tips
Best practice
When using "severely relies", ensure the context clearly indicates what is being depended upon and why the reliance is critical. This adds clarity and impact to your statement.
Common error
Avoid using "severely relies" when a more moderate level of dependence is actually meant. Overusing this phrase can weaken your argument by exaggerating the situation.
Source & Trust
82%
Authority and reliability
4.1/5
Expert rating
Real-world application tested
Linguistic Context
The phrase "severely relies" functions as a verb phrase, indicating a state of dependence. According to Ludwig AI, it describes a strong or critical reliance on something. For example, the Ludwig examples show how a system or outcome can be heavily contingent on certain factors.
Frequent in
Science
50%
News & Media
45%
Formal & Business
5%
Less common in
Wiki
0%
Encyclopedias
0%
Reference
0%
Ludwig's WRAP-UP
In summary, the phrase "severely relies" is used to express a strong dependency. Ludwig AI indicates that it's grammatically correct and suitable for use in written English. While relatively rare, its function is to highlight a critical reliance on something, often implying vulnerability. The phrase appears in both scientific and news contexts, making it versatile for formal and neutral communication. Alternatives like ""heavily depends on"" and ""critically depends on"" can be used for similar effect.
More alternative expressions(6)
Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:
heavily depends on
This phrase uses "depends" which is a direct synonym for "relies", and "heavily" is equivalent to "severely" implying a strong reliance.
critically depends on
Replaces "severely" with "critically", emphasizing the essential nature of the reliance.
is heavily reliant on
Rephrases the sentence structure while maintaining the core meaning of strong dependence.
greatly depends on
Emphasizes the significant degree of dependence, similar to "severely relies".
is significantly dependent on
Uses 'dependent' which has similar meaning, and "significantly" as opposed to "severely".
fundamentally relies on
Highlights that the reliance is basic or essential.
is extremely reliant on
Replaces "severely" with "extremely" to indicate a very high degree of dependence.
is acutely dependent on
Uses "acutely" to express the intensity of dependence, similar to "severely".
primarily depends on
Indicates that the dependence is the main or most important one.
is overwhelmingly dependent on
Emphasizes that the dependence is very large or powerful.
FAQs
How can I use "severely relies" in a sentence?
You can use "severely relies" to emphasize that something is critically dependent on something else. For example, "The project's success "severely relies" on securing additional funding."
What are some alternatives to "severely relies"?
Some alternatives include "heavily depends on", "critically depends on", or "is heavily reliant on", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.
Is it more appropriate to say "severely depends" or "severely relies"?
"Severely depends" and "severely relies" are both acceptable, but "severely relies" is often preferred when emphasizing a dependence that is crucial or essential. However, "heavily depends" might sound more natural in some contexts.
What does it mean when something "severely relies" on something else?
It means that the first thing is critically dependent on the second, and that a failure or problem with the second thing would have a significant negative impact on the first. It suggests a high degree of vulnerability due to this dependence.
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Table of contents
Usage summary
Human-verified examples
Expert writing tips
Linguistic context
Ludwig's wrap-up
Alternative expressions
FAQs
Source & Trust
82%
Authority and reliability
4.1/5
Expert rating
Real-world application tested