onerous costs

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "onerous costs" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe expenses or burdens that are difficult to bear or manage, often in a financial context. Example: "The new regulations imposed onerous costs on small businesses, making it challenging for them to remain profitable."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

8 human-written examples

Mr. Davidson believes, for example, that oversight by a single regulator would result in onerous costs for small brokerage firms.

The New York Times

Lobbyists pounced on the regulatory agencies, producing studies that claimed to show the onerous costs of new oversight and calling hundreds of meetings with the Federal Reserve, S.E.C. and Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

The New York Times

Not only does the bill violate basic civil liberties, they argue, but it would also impose onerous costs on Internet service providers, subject them to anti-competitive restraints, and drive business out of Britain.

The New York Times

As President Obama prepares for an important speech on Thursday focusing on job creation, Republicans are pushing for a rollback in environmental regulations that they say saddle companies with onerous costs that curtail jobs without leading to significant improvement in environmental or public health.

The New York Times

In order to live up to its name, therefore, Best Buy has had to offer the same prices as Amazon, eBay and other online hawkers, while continuing to bear the onerous costs of a nationwide network of physical stores as well as sales taxes from which its online rivals are, in effect, exempted.This is a familiar struggle across the retail industry.

The Economist

Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson has warned that a vote for Britain to leave the European Union could see "massive numbers of routes" taken away from low-cost airlines operating from the UK, as well as onerous costs in tax and extra bureaucracy.

The Guardian - Business

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

48 human-written examples

Any settlement is likely to include continued monitoring of the bank's compliance program, a potentially onerous cost given its size.

The New York Times

Restricted access to key internet tools is not merely an unfortunate inconvenience for individuals, it is an increasingly onerous cost of doing business here that many companies are finding harder to bear".

The Guardian

Dozens of kindnesses, cobbled together at no onerous cost, have evolved into a doctor's office that offers free medical care to the residents of the Bowery Mission and the people who eat at its soup kitchen.

The New York Times

This supposed paragon of higher finance was just plain playing Russian roulette with his shareholders' money, destroying nearly $200 billion in equity and putting an onerous cost on Uncle Sam and taxpayers.

Forbes

"They can't afford the onerous cost [of tax compliance and taxation]," Richardson told me.

Vice

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "onerous costs" when the financial burden is not just high, but also feels unjust or excessively difficult to manage.

Common error

Avoid using "onerous costs" to simply describe high prices. The term implies a burden that is difficult to bear, often due to external factors or policies, not just inherent market value.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "onerous costs" functions as a noun phrase where the adjective "onerous" modifies the noun "costs". According to Ludwig AI, this term is often used to describe expenses that are burdensome and difficult to manage. The function is to qualify a particular type of costs.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Formal & Business

20%

Science

20%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "onerous costs" is a grammatically sound and relatively uncommon phrase used to describe expenses that are burdensome and difficult to manage. According to Ludwig, the phrase is most frequently encountered in news and business contexts, serving to highlight the negative impact of financial burdens. While grammatically correct, it's important to ensure its use is reserved for situations where the costs are not just high, but also create significant difficulties or hardship. Using alternatives like "heavy financial burden" or "prohibitive expenses" can provide nuanced variations in meaning. The phrase is deemed correct and usable in written English by Ludwig AI.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

heavy financial burden

This alternative replaces "onerous costs" with a phrase that emphasizes the financial strain and difficulty.

excessive financial strain

It suggests a level of burden that is beyond what is considered normal or acceptable.

prohibitive expenses

This suggests costs that are so high as to prevent something from being done or obtained.

crippling expenditure

Emphasizes the severely damaging effect of the costs.

unaffordable overhead

Highlights that the costs are beyond the capacity to pay, specifically in an operational context.

substantial financial commitment

Focuses on the considerable amount of money involved in the cost.

significant financial outlay

This alternative emphasizes the investment aspect and its magnitude.

oppressive budgetary demands

Conveys a sense of being weighed down by the financial requirements.

debilitating monetary burden

This alternative underscores the weakening effect of the costs on an entity.

exorbitant operational cost

Highlights that the running costs are unreasonably high.

FAQs

How can I use "onerous costs" in a sentence?

You can use "onerous costs" to describe a financial burden that is difficult to bear. For instance: "The new environmental regulations imposed "onerous costs" on the manufacturing industry".

What are some alternatives to saying "onerous costs"?

Alternatives include "heavy financial burden", "excessive financial strain", or "prohibitive expenses", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

When is it appropriate to use "onerous costs" instead of "high costs"?

"Onerous costs" implies a burden that is difficult to manage or feels unjust. Use it when the costs are not just high, but also create significant hardship or difficulty beyond the financial amount alone. In simple financial terms, use "high costs".

Are there contexts where "onerous costs" might not be the best choice?

Avoid using "onerous costs" in informal settings or when simply describing the price of everyday items. It is better suited for formal discussions about policies, regulations, or significant financial challenges. For general use cases use "high costs" instead.