what is more
5
3.5
- idiom
- Formal
:
además
- He won the tournament, and what is more, he set a new record.
So you said, what is more worthy than clearing your ancestral trauma?
- So you said, what is more worthy than clearing your ancestral trauma?
- And therefore what is more old by everyone's standards than Egypt?
- It's not that you have to change everything all at once, but what what is more important than your own health?
Examples
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What is more, we should return to the issue of inheritance, now that a new generation is upon us.
-
What is more, if one company has higher carbon-reduction productivity than its competitors, it can garner a competitive advantage.
Academic text (2016) -
And what's more, I gave your daughter my name.
-
What is more, not only are these images rejected, but an alternative is proposed.
Academic text (2014) -
What is more, the gap between China and the United States will be far greater than expected.
Academic text (2011) -
What is more, the code's coming into force has raised new questions.
Academic text (2016) -
What is more, the Conservative identity and the people represented by it have been ignored.
Academic text (2000) -
Only a competitive economy, what is more, is likely to generate a tax base big enough to maintain public hospitals, pensions, and schools.
Academic text (2011) -
What is more, these two states have been vastly more successful than most others.
Academic text (2011) -
What is more, the path itself has its own challenges and pitfalls.
Academic text (1993)
Synonyms
453
1.2
Adds extra information
210
3.6
Adds an extra point that supports what was said
175
3.8
Adds extra information that supports a previous statement
111
3.6
To give another fact or idea
1
1.0
To add a new point or give extra information
How Formal
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning of 'what is more' as a discursive marker adding an additional or stronger point is directly signalled by 'more' (to a greater extent) combined with the introductory clause 'what is', so a learner who knows the constituent words can plausibly infer it means 'moreover' or 'besides'. This pattern is a common, predictable way to introduce extra information and has cross-linguistic parallels, making it readily interpretable at B1.
Etymology
The phrase what is more may come from the simple idea of asking what more before adding the biggest point. Imagine listing small facts and then putting one heavier, more important fact on top — that's why the phrase signals 'extra' or 'more important' information.