rather more costly

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "rather more costly" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that something is significantly more expensive than another option or than expected. Example: "The new model is rather more costly than the previous version, but it offers many additional features."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

FT Alphaville makes a typically insightful point this morning – the cost of insuring Dutch debt against default has increased sharply in recent months, and is rather more costly than the German equivalent (having actually been cheaper a year ago).

The Guardian - Business

And that physics-based industry alone contributes 6.4% of our GDP – comparable to the much vaunted and rather more costly financial services sector – yet no party is committed to protecting it after the next election?

The Guardian

Meanwhile, Pellegrini shrugged off suggestions City could make a late move for a rather more costly striker, Monaco's £54m Colombian Radamel Falcao, who was not involved in his current club's match against Lille on Saturday and has been strongly linked with a transfer away.

The Guardian - Sport

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

While the number of deaths in North America has been flat, more people are choosing cremation rather than more costly burial services, Service Corporation officials say.

The New York Times

He even is cautiously optimistic that beer consumption could rise again, as consumers choose to drink beer with their meals rather than more costly wine.

The New York Times

In contrast, ethanol, a natural fuel, can be made from environmentally renewed crops by well-established environmentally benign techniques that are likely to become less rather than more costly with experience.

The New Yorker

In addition, the governor's Medicaid Redesign Team has accelerated the move to providing Medicaid services through managed care plans rather than more costly fee-for-service — which will reduce costs and make it more difficult for Medicaid to be wrongly billed.

The New York Times

More generally, Big Data can reveal changing mortality and morbidity trends and patterns that could lead to preventive measures being taken rather than more costly curative ones.

Genus

Big (structured and unstructured) Data can reveal changing mortality and morbidity patterns in time and place and can lead to health policies that take preventive measures rather than more costly curative ones.

Genus

Even when individual matching of records is not possible, a Big Data approach is helpful in revealing changing mortality and morbidity patterns in time and place just as it can be used in other fields for the early detection of defects—in view of possibly taking preventive measures rather than more costly curative ones.

Genus

The company is clearly invested in making this the path of choice for future Adobe creative suite users; it made a big deal of having signed on around 326,000 paying subscribers out of a total of 1 million Creative Cloud members, around 80percentt of whom are on annual plans, rather than the more costly, but less committed monthly options.

TechCrunch

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When comparing options, use "rather more costly" to subtly suggest that the increased expense may be justified by additional benefits or features. This can soften the impact of the higher price.

Common error

Avoid using "rather more costly" in isolation without explaining why something is more expensive. Providing context (e.g., better quality, additional features) helps justify the higher price and prevents readers from focusing solely on the negative aspect of increased cost.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "rather more costly" functions as an adverbial modifier indicating a higher degree of cost. It modifies a comparison, emphasizing that something is significantly more expensive. As indicated by Ludwig, it's a usable phrase in written English.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

66%

Science

33%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "rather more costly" is a grammatically correct and usable expression in English, signifying a notable increase in price compared to an alternative. Ludwig AI indicates it's a valid phrase. While not exceedingly common, with only a few examples found, it serves to emphasize a cost differential. The phrase is most frequently encountered in news and media contexts. When using this phrase, it's beneficial to provide context justifying the higher expense. Consider alternatives like "considerably more expensive" or "significantly pricier" to vary your language.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

considerably more expensive

Emphasizes the significant difference in price, highlighting the expense.

significantly pricier

Highlights a notable increase in price, often implying a higher quality or luxury.

noticeably more expensive

Indicates the price difference is easily observed or apparent.

substantially higher in price

Formal expression denoting a considerable elevation in cost.

appreciably more costly

Emphasizes that the difference in cost is significant and worth considering.

markedly more expensive

Suggests a clear and distinct difference in the cost.

relatively more expensive

Indicates increased cost compared to a benchmark or expectation.

somewhat more costly

Denotes a slight increase in cost, less emphatic than "rather".

a bit pricier

Informal way of indicating a slightly higher price.

more on the expensive side

Suggests the item or service belongs to the higher end of the price range.

FAQs

How can I use "rather more costly" in a sentence?

You can use "rather more costly" to compare the price of two options. For example: "Opting for organic produce is "rather more costly" than buying conventional produce".

What is a synonym for "rather more costly"?

Alternatives to "rather more costly" include "considerably more expensive", "significantly pricier", or "noticeably more expensive". The best choice depends on the specific context and the degree of emphasis you want to convey.

Is it grammatically correct to say "rather more costly"?

Yes, it is grammatically correct. "Rather" functions as an adverb modifying the comparative phrase "more costly", indicating a degree or extent of the cost increase.

When should I use "rather more costly" instead of "more costly"?

Use "rather more costly" when you want to emphasize that the difference in cost is noticeable or significant. "More costly" is a simpler comparison, while "rather more costly" adds a layer of emphasis.