a massive overhead

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a massive overhead" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a significant burden or cost associated with a process, system, or operation, often in a business or technical context. Example: "The new software implementation comes with a massive overhead that we need to account for in our budget."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

"We don't have a massive overhead like we would if we were a legacy carrier," said David Meers, chief operating officer at Vision Airlines.

The New York Times - Travel

Good for Symphony Hall: it boldly took on this spectacular semi-staged presentation of Wagner's Tristan und Isolde, which – with its video art on a massive overhead screen and its choreographed, spatial musical effects – presented immense technical challenges.

Independent

As a result, this discovery procedure may cause a massive overhead in the network since no control over the distribution of the control packets exists.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

"Most collaborative music has immense barriers to entry, there's a massive overhead of knowledge and history that you need to understand to feel comfortable joining the average jazz quartet, bluegrass circle, or rock session.

Vice

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

The chip division would charge $10 a chip — or whatever price included a profit, a huge R&D budget and massive overhead.

Forbes

The lower entry costs to making music, the ability to run a music label without massive overhead, the cost of buying music and DJ equipment...these are the reasons purists complain that "anybody" can make music or DJ now, but that's entirely the point.

Vice

To become an elite agent — roughly 50 individuals handle 90% of the world's megayacht charters — once required social connections, yachting pedigree and a willingness to take on the massive overhead of lavish parties, swank offices and boat brochures that can cost up to $75 per copy to produce.

Forbes

It has a vaguely Art Deco look with a pressed-tin ceiling, hardwood floors, blackboards, candles, paper over cloth tables, cylinder wall lights, ceiling fans, massive overhead flying-saucer light fixtures and a red and white tiled open kitchen.

The New York Times

On Jan . 22 he asserted that safety-net programs — yes, he specifically used that term — have "massive overhead," and that because of the cost of a huge bureaucracy "very little of the money that's actually needed by those that really need help, those that can't care for themselves, actually reaches them".

The New York Times

But massive overhead, and more than 9,300 employees, make profitability an increasingly difficult goal for The Gray Lady.

TechCrunch

Their massive overhead costs make micropayments impossible.… With e-currency based on cryptographic proof, without the need to trust a third party middleman, money can be secure and transactions effortless.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When discussing business operations or project budgets, use "a massive overhead" to clearly convey the significance of indirect expenses. This emphasizes the impact on profitability or resource allocation.

Common error

Don't use "a massive overhead" when you're actually referring to direct production or service delivery costs. Overhead includes expenses like rent, utilities, and administrative salaries, not raw materials or wages for specific tasks.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a massive overhead" functions as a noun phrase, where "massive" modifies "overhead", indicating a substantial burden or cost. Ludwig AI confirms its usability in written English.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

30%

Formal & Business

30%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "a massive overhead" effectively conveys the concept of substantial indirect costs within various contexts. While grammatically sound, its frequency is relatively low, primarily appearing in News & Media, Science, and Formal & Business settings. Alternatives like "substantial operating costs" or "significant indirect expenses" can be used for semantic variation. According to Ludwig AI, the phrase is correct and usable in written English.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

substantial operating costs

Focuses on the financial aspect of overhead using more specific terminology.

significant indirect expenses

Highlights the indirect nature of the costs, providing a formal tone.

considerable administrative burden

Emphasizes the administrative aspect of overhead, shifting the focus to workload.

heavy financial burden

Replaces "massive" with "heavy" to convey the weight of the overhead costs.

huge recurring expenditure

Highlights the recurring nature and scale of the expenses associated with overhead.

large fixed costs

Emphasizes the fixed nature of the overhead, implying less flexibility.

major operating expenses

Uses more formal business language to describe overhead costs.

extensive administrative overhead

Replaces "massive" with "extensive" and concentrates on administrative aspect.

onerous financial obligations

Highlights the burdensome aspect of the financial commitments.

excessive running costs

Focuses on the ongoing nature and excessiveness of the costs.

FAQs

How can I use "a massive overhead" in a sentence?

You can use "a massive overhead" to describe significant indirect costs affecting profitability, such as, "The company's profitability was impacted by "a massive overhead" of administrative expenses and facility maintenance."

What's a less formal way to describe "a massive overhead"?

In less formal settings, you might say something like "sky-high running costs" or "huge administrative expenses" instead of "a massive overhead".

Is it more appropriate to use "a large overhead" or "a massive overhead"?

"A massive overhead" emphasizes a greater scale or burden compared to "a large overhead". The choice depends on the degree of impact you wish to convey.

What are some examples of items that contribute to "a massive overhead" in a business?

Items contributing to "a massive overhead" can include rent, utilities, insurance, administrative salaries, marketing expenses, and research and development costs.