にも増して【にもまして】

にも増して means "even more than": the noun before it was already high on some scale, and what follows goes beyond it. It goes straight after a noun, most often a time – いぜん以前, きょねん去年, ぜんかい前回 – or a question word.

The literal sense is "increasing even on ~", from ます増す. It is often written in kana, にもまして.

にも増して or より

より only compares. にも増して also says the baseline was already high: last year was busy too, and this year is busier still.

With a question word

After なん何, だれ誰 or いつ, it means "more than anything", "more than anyone", "more than ever".

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にも増して is formal and belongs to writing and speeches. In conversation, say まえ前よりもっと or いつもより.