incredibly expensive

USAGE SUMMARY

"incredibly expensive" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
You can use it when referring to something that is far more expensive than its peers or expected. For example, "The book was incredibly expensive; it cost exponentially more than all the other books in the store."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

"Incredibly expensive.

The Guardian

It's incredibly expensive".

The New Yorker

Books were incredibly expensive.

The Guardian - Film

And it's incredibly expensive.

The Guardian - Books

This is incredibly expensive.

The New Yorker

This stuff is incredibly expensive.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

It was really complicated and incredibly expensive.

The New York Times

Not really, they're just incredibly expensive.

The Guardian - Opinion

Historical restorations are incredibly expensive to do.

The New York Times

These sorts of lawsuit are incredibly expensive.

The Washington Post

"They are incredibly expensive," said Ms. Alexander, the fashion critic.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "incredibly expensive" to emphasize the unexpectedly high cost of something, especially when compared to similar items or services.

Common error

Avoid using "incredibly expensive" too frequently in casual conversation; consider more nuanced terms like "pricey" or "steep" for everyday scenarios.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "incredibly expensive" functions as an intensifier (incredibly) modifying an adjective (expensive). It serves to amplify the degree to which something is costly, indicating a significantly higher price point than simply "expensive". The Examples provided by Ludwig confirm its role in emphasizing high costs.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

69%

Academia

15%

Formal & Business

6%

Less common in

Science

5%

Reference

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "incredibly expensive" is a common and grammatically sound expression used to emphasize a high cost. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, it effectively conveys that something is much pricier than expected. While suitable for various contexts, consider alternatives like "prohibitively expensive" or "exorbitantly priced" for nuanced expression. Employ it judiciously to avoid overuse, particularly in casual settings. With primary usage in news and media, and strong presence in academic sources as Ludwig's examples highlight, this phrase remains a valuable tool for describing substantial costs.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

prohibitively expensive

Focuses on the cost making something impossible to afford or obtain.

exceedingly costly

Emphasizes the high level of expense involved.

astronomically priced

Highlights an extremely high price, often unexpectedly so.

unfeasibly priced

Indicates that the price makes something impractical or unrealistic.

exorbitantly priced

Stresses an excessive or unreasonably high price.

eye-wateringly expensive

An idiomatic way of saying that something is shockingly expensive.

jaw-droppingly expensive

Indicates that the price is so high that it surprises or amazes.

ruinously expensive

Conveys that the cost could lead to financial ruin or significant hardship.

unjustifiably expensive

Expresses that the high cost is not reasonable or warranted.

criminally expensive

Implies the price is so high that it feels almost unethical.

FAQs

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

You can use "incredibly expensive" to describe something that costs a lot more than expected. For example, "The renovations turned out to be incredibly expensive".

What can I say instead of "incredibly expensive"?

You can use alternatives like "prohibitively expensive", "exceedingly costly", or "astronomically priced" depending on the context.

Is it better to say "very expensive" or "incredibly expensive"?

"Incredibly expensive" emphasizes a much higher degree of cost than "very expensive". Choose the phrase that accurately reflects the level of expensiveness you want to convey.

Is "incredibly expensive" formal or informal?

"Incredibly expensive" can be used in both formal and informal contexts but may sound more emphatic than alternatives like "very expensive" or "extremely expensive".