cost too much

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase 'cost too much' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use this phrase when you want to express that the cost of something is too high. For example, "The tuition for this college costs too much for us to afford."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Science

Formal & Business

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

It cost too much.

The New York Times

Third, CD's cost too much.

The New York Times - Arts

They say it would cost too much.

Columbia University

Because it would cost too much.

The New York Times - Magazine

They say it will cost too much?

The New York Times

That would cost too much, says Johnson.

The Guardian

But Does It Cost Too Much?

Harvard Business Review

Rebuilding cost too much, and insurance reimbursements took too long.

Yale University

The bill's opponents argue that it will cost too much.

The New Yorker

Stanton isn't shy, and "John Carter" cost too much.

The New Yorker

SPANIARDS used to complain that housing cost too much.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

In formal writing, ensure the subject is clearly defined (e.g. "The infrastructure project will cost too much") to avoid vague complaints.

Common error

Remember that 'cost' is an irregular verb where the past tense is also 'cost'. Avoid saying 'costed too much' when referring to a historical price.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "cost too much" functions as a verb phrase composed of the verb 'cost' followed by the quantifier 'too much'. In the examples provided by Ludwig, it serves as the main predicate of the sentence to indicate a financial threshold has been surpassed.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Academia

20%

Formal & Business

15%

Less common in

Science

8%

Wiki

5%

Social Media

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "cost too much" is a highly versatile and correct English phrase used across all levels of formality. Ludwig AI confirms its prevalence in prestigious news outlets and academic journals alike. It effectively communicates that a price is unreasonable or unaffordable. When using it, pay close attention to subject-verb agreement and the irregular past tense of 'cost' to maintain grammatical precision.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

be too expensive

Uses a copular verb and adjective for a more descriptive state.

be prohibitively priced

Formal way to indicate that the price prevents purchase or action.

be overpriced

Implies the cost is higher than the actual value of the item.

exceed the budget

Professional phrasing used in project management or corporate contexts.

carry a steep price tag

A journalistic metaphor used to describe expensive goods or services.

cost a fortune

An idiomatic expression emphasizing a very high cost.

be financially unfeasible

Academic or technical term suggesting the cost makes a plan impossible.

be beyond one's means

Focuses on the affordability relative to an individual's financial situation.

drain financial resources

Emphasizes the negative impact on overall wealth or capital.

cost an arm and a leg

A common informal idiom for something extremely expensive.

FAQs

How to use "cost too much" in a sentence?

You can use it as a predicate to describe a high price, such as in "The original plans would have "cost too much" to implement".

What can I say instead of "cost too much"?

Depending on your context, you might use "be too expensive", "be overpriced" or the more formal "be prohibitively priced".

Is "cost too much" or "costs too much" correct?

Both are correct depending on the subject. Use "costs too much" for singular subjects in the present tense, and "cost too much" for plural subjects or any subject in the past tense.

What is the difference between "cost too much" and "too expensive"?

The phrase "cost too much" is a verb phrase focusing on the action of expense, while "too expensive" is an adjective phrase describing the quality of the object.