costly situation

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "costly situation" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a scenario that incurs significant expenses or has serious financial implications. Example: "The company found itself in a costly situation after the unexpected equipment failure led to production delays."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

6 human-written examples

Now, we are in this devastating and costly situation.

Independent

"Ironically, the rapid devaluation of sterling, now attracting foreign investors back to London, may be the biggest hope of salvaging a potentially embarrassing and costly situation," said Heaton.

The Guardian - Business

This costly situation (about $6 million per month) pushed the overall costs of the project even higher.

Wikipedia

Given that Fannie Mae is at this point a government entity, and it is the policy of the government that foreclosures are a costly situation best avoided if there are any lower cost alternatives, what steps is Fannie Mae taking to avoid the use of foreclosure mills?

Huffington Post

"Given that Fannie Mae is at this point a government entity, and it is the policy of the government that foreclosures are a costly situation best avoided if there are any lower cost alternatives, what steps is Fannie Mae taking to avoid the use of foreclosure mills?" Fannie Mae did not immediately respond to a request for comment from HuffPost.

Huffington Post

It is now widely recognised that health care decision-making should move away from inference based on statistical significance [ 5] to avoid what Claxton et al. [ 6] describe as the perverse (and costly) situation of selecting a technology with the lowest chance of being cost-effective.

Cost Effectiveness and Resource Allocation

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

For those in the community, the department has shifted in recent years from a model of care that sees serious mental illness as a long-term disability to a "recovery" model, which seeks to move clients into increasingly less restrictive, less supervised and less costly living situations.

The New York Times

There is no way that the United States will, after decades of abuse, put up with this costly and dangerous situation anymore!

Huffington Post

These waste products are highly persistent chlorinated compounds; thus, there is no easy and effective way to dispose of them or remediate sites of production, creating a costly and hazardous situation.

Environmental Health Perspectives

Single pooling leads to a better performance than chaining while being less costly under various situations of asymmetry: asymmetry in the number of arrivals, in the service durations, in the variability of service times, or in the service level requirements.

International Journal of Production Economics

Developing fever and mounting an immunologic response are physiologically costly and, in situations in which animals are resource limited and exposed to predators, these costs may have to be balanced against other expenses such as reproduction, growth, molt, or migration [22], [23].

Plosone

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing the ramifications of a decision or event, use "costly situation" to underscore the financial repercussions, ensuring your audience understands the economic impact.

Common error

While "costly situation" is acceptable across various registers, avoid using it excessively in very informal conversations. Simpler terms like "expensive" or more context-specific descriptions might be more appropriate.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "costly situation" functions as a noun phrase, where "costly" modifies the noun "situation". It describes a scenario characterized by significant expense or financial burden. As noted by Ludwig AI, the phrase is correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

30%

Wiki

15%

Less common in

Formal & Business

15%

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "costly situation" is a grammatically sound and usable phrase that effectively conveys a scenario with significant financial implications. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's appropriate in a range of contexts, from news reports to scientific discussions. While not overly common, its usage is consistent and clear. To enhance your writing, consider the best practices offered, such as emphasizing the economic impact when describing decisions. Be mindful of the register and choose simpler language for informal settings. Related phrases like "expensive predicament" or "financially burdensome scenario" can provide nuanced alternatives depending on the context. Overall, "costly situation" is a useful phrase for expressing economic consequences in various communication scenarios.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Expensive predicament

Replaces "costly" with "expensive" and "situation" with "predicament", emphasizing the problematic nature of the scenario.

Financially burdensome scenario

Substitutes "costly" with "financially burdensome", highlighting the financial strain associated with the scenario.

High-priced affair

Uses a more informal expression to denote something that involves high costs.

Economically disadvantageous position

Replaces "costly situation" with a more formal and detailed description, emphasizing the economic disadvantage.

Unfavorable financial circumstances

Focuses specifically on the financial aspects of a difficult situation.

Pricey state of affairs

Uses a more colloquial term "pricey" instead of "costly", making it sound less formal.

Damaging financial circumstances

Highlights the detrimental financial impact of the situation.

Financially draining event

Emphasizes the aspect of the situation that is depleting or exhausting resources.

A money pit

An idiomatic expression indicating a situation that consumes a lot of money.

An expensive undertaking

Emphasizes the cost associated with a particular project or task.

FAQs

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

You can use "costly situation" to describe scenarios with significant financial implications. For example: "The delayed project put the company in a costly situation."/

What are some alternatives to "costly situation"?

Alternatives include "expensive predicament", "financially burdensome scenario", or "high-priced affair", depending on the context and desired formality.

Is "costly situation" a formal or informal phrase?

The phrase "costly situation" is suitable for both formal and informal contexts, but it's generally perceived as more neutral than highly informal.

What makes a "costly situation" different from a simple "expensive problem"?

While both phrases denote financial burden, "costly situation" often implies a broader set of circumstances or a prolonged state, whereas "expensive problem" might refer to a more immediate or isolated issue.