substantially
substantially — adverb
1. by a wide margin in terms of amount, size, or effect — used when a change, diffe
by a wide margin in terms of amount, size, or effect — used when a change, difference, or improvement is big enough to matter.
Energy costs have risen substantially across the northern states this winter.
verb + substantially (change verb)
Tanvi's reading speed improved substantially after she started practising every morning.
substantially + past participle
The renovated building is substantially larger than the original one from the 1960s.
Cole found that the hotel bill was substantially lower at the off-peak weekend rate.
- significantly
very similar, but slightly more formal and often used in statistics or research
- considerably
almost interchangeable; slightly weaker in suggesting a noticeable degree
- greatly
strong but more emotional; common with feelings and appreciation
- markedly
more formal, used when the change is clearly visible or measurable
- slightly
to a small degree
- marginally
by an amount so small it barely matters
文法句型
substantially + comparative adjective
verb + substantially
substantially + past participle
用法筆記
Commonly appears with verbs of change (increase, reduce, improve, differ) and with comparative adjectives (larger, smaller, higher, lower). Stronger than 'moderately' but less specific than a precise number.
常見錯誤
2. in the main ways that matter most, even if minor details are not identical — use
in the main ways that matter most, even if minor details are not identical — used when comparing two things that are alike in their core features.
The two novels tell substantially the same story, although the endings differ.
substantially the same
Alessia said the report was substantially accurate, aside from a few minor typos.
substantially + adjective of accuracy
The government's new policy remains substantially unchanged from the previous version.
Caio's translation and Rohan's translation are substantially similar in meaning and tone.
- largely
interchangeable in most contexts; slightly less formal
- broadly
focuses on the wide scope of agreement rather than the core
- mostly
more informal and everyday; implies more exceptions
- for the most part
phrase equivalent; more conversational rhythm
- completely
totally identical in every detail, not just the main points
- entirely
no exceptions; opposite of 'almost but not quite'
文法句型
substantially + the same/similar/correct/unchanged
substantially + adjective of agreement
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: sense 2 talks about the degree of ALIGNMENT between two things, not the size of a change. It pairs naturally with words like 'same', 'correct', 'unchanged', 'similar'. This sense is not used with comparative adjectives ('higher', 'lower').