incredibly costly

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "incredibly costly" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe something that has a very high cost or expense, often in a figurative sense. Example: "The new technology implementation was incredibly costly, exceeding our initial budget by a significant margin."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

It's also incredibly costly.

The Guardian

That's where failure is so incredibly costly".

The New York Times

Why are hearing aids so incredibly costly?

The New York Times - Health

"These systems are incredibly costly," Ms. Wolf said.

The New York Times

But it's incredibly costly to the rest of society.

The Guardian - Opinion

It looks (and is) incredibly costly — and as sweet as dime-store perfume.

The New Yorker

Elk carry a disease, brucellosis, that can be harmful to cattle and incredibly costly to ranchers.

University of California, Berkeley

Although the AOL name "needs to be reinvigorated," Mr. Fried said, "to abandon it would be an incredibly costly mistake".

The New York Times

Properly used, they delay or even prevent the catastrophic, incredibly costly complications that ensue from undertreated medical conditions.

The New York Times

Meticulous and rational development decisions can potentially prevent incredibly costly errors and provide the best chances for LRRK2 inhibitors to slow the progression of PD.

Experimental Neurology

Businesses and Democratic governor Jerry Brown have said such a steep wage increase would be incredibly costly.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "incredibly costly" when discussing potential consequences or errors to stress the magnitude of the financial repercussions.

Common error

While "incredibly costly" effectively conveys high expense, avoid overusing intensifiers like "incredibly", as it can weaken your writing. Consider using stronger, more specific vocabulary to describe the cost's impact instead.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "incredibly costly" primarily functions as an adjective phrase modifying a noun. It emphasizes the high expense associated with the noun it describes. As Ludwig AI points out, the phrase is grammatically sound and widely used.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

66%

Science

19%

Academia

6%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "incredibly costly" is a grammatically correct and frequently used adjective phrase that serves to emphasize a high level of expense. As Ludwig AI validates, this phrase is commonly found in news, scientific, and academic contexts. While it is effective in conveying significant financial burden, writers should be mindful of overusing intensifiers. Consider alternatives such as "prohibitively expensive" or "astronomically high" to provide nuanced descriptions and avoid redundancy. It is imperative when writing that you emphasize the financial aspect using precise words to enhance clarity.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

prohibitively expensive

Emphasizes the expense prevents purchase or action.

exceedingly pricey

Highlights the high price level.

astronomically high

Stresses the extreme magnitude of the cost.

exceptionally dear

Uses a more formal tone to express high cost.

excessively overpriced

Focuses on the cost being beyond reasonable value.

tremendously valuable

Highlights the monetary value, with an emphasis on the high price.

unjustifiably expensive

Implies the cost is not warranted or fair.

unreasonably high

Similar to "excessively overpriced", focusing on a lack of justification for the cost.

outrageously steep

Indicates the cost is surprisingly and unacceptably high.

highly uneconomical

Focuses on the lack of cost-effectiveness.

FAQs

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

Use "incredibly costly" to describe something that is exceptionally expensive. For instance, "The project turned out to be "incredibly costly" due to unforeseen delays".

What are some alternatives to "incredibly costly"?

Alternatives include "prohibitively expensive", "exceedingly pricey", or "astronomically high", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it more appropriate to say "very costly" or "incredibly costly"?

"Incredibly costly" emphasizes a higher degree of expense compared to "very costly". The choice depends on the level of emphasis you want to convey.

In what contexts is "incredibly costly" most effectively used?

"Incredibly costly" is effective in contexts where you want to highlight the significant financial burden or negative financial impact of something, such as "government investigations" or "transitioning the state's electric grid".