excessive overhead

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "excessive overhead" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe a financial burden that is too costly or too large. For example, "The company struggled to stay afloat due to excessive overhead costs".

✓ Grammatically correct

Business

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

21 human-written examples

Excessive overhead costs have been another big problem.

Harvard Business Review

Ms. Peyton said the company was trying to ensure that it managed its own inventory and avoided excessive overhead.

The New York Times

In Massachusetts, they calculated that excessive overhead costs meant that $2.20 must be paid in premiums for every dollar that was paid out to an accident victim.

The New York Times

The organization also contested the allegations of excessive overhead costs, claiming that its spending was similar to that of other organizations working in the region.

Encyclopedia Britannica

John Kerry's economic advisers have a very different analysis: they believe that health costs are too high because private insurance companies have excessive overhead, mainly because they are trying to avoid covering high-risk patients.

The New York Times

Our evaluation and analysis reveals that the naive fine-grained lock design results in excessive overhead and wait, which in turn leads to severe performance degradation in multi-core architectures.

Computer Communications

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

39 human-written examples

The system is also dogged by excessive overheads, noncompliance by companies, mismanagement and corruption.

The Guardian

But the right thing to do is to tackle excessive overheads".

The Guardian - Business

In the face of such changes in the technological landscape, current solutions for fault tolerance are expected to introduce excessive overheads in future systems.

Microprocessors and Microsystems

How Vince squares this with his plan for economic recovery is anyone's guess, but it had the opposite effect on the high street, saddling traders with excessive overheads many simply couldn't afford.

The Guardian

The Charity Commission said it had the power to remove trustees, freeze accounts and appoint interim managers if it believes a charity is running with "excessive overheads" or is not acting "exclusively for the public benefit".

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When discussing financial matters, quantify "excessive overhead" with specific numbers or percentages to illustrate the magnitude of the problem. For example, "The company's "excessive overhead" of 40% significantly reduced its profit margin."

Common error

Avoid simply stating that a company has "excessive overhead" without providing context. Instead, identify where the overhead is excessive (e.g., administrative costs, marketing expenses) and why it's a problem (e.g., hindering growth, reducing competitiveness).

Linguistic Context

The phrase "excessive overhead" functions as a noun phrase where the adjective "excessive" modifies the noun "overhead". This signifies a descriptive role, highlighting the scale or degree of overhead costs. Ludwig AI confirms this phrase is both correct and usable.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

30%

News & Media

30%

Formal & Business

20%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

5%

Academia

10%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "excessive overhead" is a common and grammatically correct phrase used to describe situations where overhead costs are disproportionately high. Ludwig AI confirms its validity, and it is found across various contexts, including business, science, and news. When using this phrase, quantifying the excessiveness and providing context are key to effective communication. Consider alternatives like "prohibitive costs" or "undue burden" for nuanced expressions. By avoiding generic statements and offering specific details, you can enhance the impact and clarity of your writing. The most frequent sources of this phrase are from scientific publications, news and media outlets and formal business documents.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

undue burden

Emphasizes the inappropriateness or unfairness of the burden.

prohibitive costs

Focuses specifically on costs that are so high they prevent something from happening.

exorbitant expenses

Highlights the excessiveness and unreasonableness of the expenses.

inordinate overhead

Uses 'inordinate' to stress the excessive nature of the overhead.

unreasonable outlay

Focuses on the expenditure being unjustified or beyond what is sensible.

disproportionate cost

Highlights that the cost is not in proper relation to the benefit or value.

inflated operating costs

Specifically refers to the operating costs being artificially high.

sky-high expenses

Informal way to emphasize that the expenses are extremely high.

astronomical overhead costs

Emphasizes the very large and often unexpected size of overheads.

unjustifiable expenses

Highlights that the expenses cannot be defended as being needed.

FAQs

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

You can use "excessive overhead" to describe situations where costs are disproportionately high, such as, "The charity struggled to maximize its impact due to "excessive overhead" expenses related to administration."

What are some alternatives to "excessive overhead"?

Alternatives include "undue burden", "prohibitive costs", or "exorbitant expenses", each carrying slightly different connotations of inappropriateness, deterrence, or excessiveness.

What does "excessive overhead" mean in business?

In a business context, "excessive overhead" refers to operating costs that are disproportionately high relative to revenue, hindering profitability and growth. Addressing it often involves cost-cutting measures and efficiency improvements.

What's the difference between "excessive overhead" and "high overhead"?

"High overhead" simply indicates that overhead costs are elevated, while "excessive overhead" implies that the overhead is not only high but also unreasonable or unsustainable, often leading to financial strain.