Meaning & use
to a high degree
Last updated
Meaning
phrasefixed phraseformal
Very much; to a great extent or level.
Grammar: Used as an adverbial phrase, often after a verb or adjective: influenced to a high degree.
Patterns
- be affected to a high degree
- influence someone to a high degree
- depend on something to a high degree
Her success depended to a high degree on hard work.
The two events are similar to a high degree.
He was influenced to a high degree by his early teachers.
Common combinations
- depend to a high degree on
- The outcome depends to a high degree on the weather.
- influenced to a high degree
- The design was influenced to a high degree by nature.
- similar to a high degree
- The two languages are similar to a high degree.
- affected to a high degree
- The crops were affected to a high degree by the drought.
Synonyms and how they differ
- to a great extent
- Very similar in meaning and register; often used in the same formal contexts.
- extremely
- More common and direct; used before adjectives or adverbs, not after verbs.
- highly
- Common before adjectives and verbs, but not usually after the verb like 'to a high degree'.
Opposites
Commonly confused: to a high degree or to a degree?
to a high degree vs to a degree
Means 'partly' or 'somewhat', not 'very much'. 'To a high degree' is much stronger.
Practice
Choose the sentence that uses 'to a high degree' correctly.
Choose one answer.
'To a high degree' typically follows a verb like 'depend' or 'influence'. Option A places it awkwardly before an adjective, option C puts it before a verb, and option D uses it before a noun, which is unnatural.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “to a high degree”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.