a costly task

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a costly task" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to a task or project that requires a significant amount of money or resources to complete. Example: "Completing the renovation of the old building turned out to be a costly task, exceeding our initial budget."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

6 human-written examples

Bryer said Sandy underscores the urgency of removing the sediment from behind the dam, a costly task that Maryland and the Army Corps of Engineers are studying.

The Washington Post

On health care, Mr. Scott said that Wal-Mart would begin working with major American employers to help them manage and pay prescription drug claims, a costly task now handled by companies known as pharmacy benefit managers.

The New York Times

Building a large-scale speech corpus is a costly task that takes a long time and a great deal effort by engineers, acousticians, and linguists.

EURASIP Journal on Audio, Speech, and Music Processing

Threshold definition is commonly a costly task that implies large times and a deep knowledge of the network behavior that may be not available.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

The authoring of cases is a costly task, and case-based medical learning systems often provide only a limited number of cases due to the complexity and implementation effort [ 11].

BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making

The response rate was within the expected range [ 17], at the lower limit when a costly task was required and the higher one when it was not, showing that the consequences of the initial feeling of discredit were blurred by the implementation of psychosocial techniques.

BMC Family Practice

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

However, as we said, obtaining an intra-state is a very costly task in time.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

Biologically motivated simulation of large scale neural networks is a computationally costly task.

Neurocomputing

It would be an overwhelmingly costly task, and would mean that EU members would surrender more of their national sovereignty to the union's central apparatus.

The Guardian - Opinion

The conventional approach, based on searching for SNP's (pronounced "snips"), or single nucleotide polymorphisms, requires identifying some 100,000 SNP's across the human genome, an extremely costly task.

The New York Times - Science

Generating a population-based repository is a complex and costly task; however only such a repository provides information on the prevalence and allows to analyse predictors for infection in the general population.

BMC Infectious Diseases

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "a costly task", be specific about what makes it costly. Is it the time, the resources, or the monetary investment? Providing context enhances clarity.

Common error

Avoid using "a costly task" repeatedly within a short passage. Vary your language by employing synonyms like "expensive endeavor" or "resource-intensive project" to maintain reader engagement and prevent monotony.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a costly task" functions as a noun phrase where "costly" modifies the noun "task". This describes a specific type of task. Ludwig AI confirms this phrase appears in various contexts to characterize assignments or projects.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

30%

Science

30%

Encyclopedias

10%

Less common in

Wiki

10%

Formal & Business

10%

Academia

10%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "a costly task" is a grammatically correct and usable phrase, as affirmed by Ludwig AI, that describes a task requiring significant financial or resource investment. While not exceedingly common, it finds consistent application across diverse fields, including News & Media and Science. Several alternatives, such as "an expensive undertaking" and "a financially burdensome project", can provide variety in writing. To enhance clarity, specify the nature of the cost—time, resources, or money. Overuse should be avoided by changing the language periodically, maintaining reader engagement. It is a useful phrase to describe assignments or projects.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

an expensive undertaking

Replaces "costly" with "expensive" and "task" with "undertaking", slightly increasing the formality.

a high-priced endeavor

Substitutes "costly" with "high-priced" and "task" with "endeavor", adding a touch of sophistication.

a financially burdensome project

Emphasizes the financial strain associated with the task, using more descriptive language.

a resource-intensive operation

Focuses on the resources required rather than just the monetary cost.

a prohibitively expensive activity

Highlights the potential to be unaffordable as the major burden.

a capital-intensive venture

Specifies that the cost relates to capital or investment.

an economically draining process

Highlights economic impact and portrays the subject as a lengthy process.

a lavishly priced effort

Implies an excessive level of pricing.

a valuable but pricey activity

Recognizes a potential good side (valuable), but also its major expense.

a strategically important, yet high-cost initiative

Highlights that despite being expensive, it is relevant in its context.

FAQs

How can I use "a costly task" in a sentence?

You can use "a costly task" to describe projects or actions that require significant investment of time, money, or resources. For example: "Cleaning up the polluted river proved to be a costly task."

What can I say instead of "a costly task"?

You can use alternatives like "an expensive undertaking", "a high-priced endeavor", or "a financially burdensome project" depending on the context.

When is it appropriate to use "a costly task" in writing?

It's appropriate when you want to emphasize that a particular task or project requires a substantial amount of resources or money. It's suitable for both formal and informal contexts.

What is the difference between "a costly task" and "a difficult task"?

"A costly task" emphasizes the expense involved, whereas "a difficult task" highlights the challenges and complexity, focusing less on the financial aspect. The best choice depends on the aspect you want to emphasize.