unduly expensive

USAGE SUMMARY

'unduly expensive' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe something that is more expensive than it should be. For example: The dress was unduly expensive for the quality of fabric.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

9 human-written examples

But, according to Mr. Freeh, Mr. Corzine "stalled" the effort because he considered it unduly expensive.

The New York Times

Cheaper health care and better education would certainly help rural areas, but to provide them nationwide is unduly expensive.

The Economist

Mike Zaneis, senior vice president and general counsel at of the Interactive Advertising Bureau, called that level of access for consumers problematic, "requiring possibly 1.1 million Web sites to comply with an unnecessary provision would be unduly expensive and wasteful".

The New York Times

UBS lawyers responded that the bulk of these e-mail messages had been stored on tapes, that they were not relevant to the case and that to restore them would be unduly expensive and time-consuming.

The New York Times

The report said that it was better to build flats that are too large, rather than too small: "Additional space is an important long-term investment, for if a house or flat is large enough it can usually be brought up-to-date as it gets older, but if there is not enough space improvements can be impossible, or at least unduly expensive".

The Guardian - Opinion

More sophisticated methods, such as neurophysiology or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning have proven themselves to be inaccurate, inconvenient or unduly expensive.

The Foot

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

49 human-written examples

Medco, formerly called Merck-Medco Managed Care, has been accused in lawsuits of unduly favoring expensive Merck drugs like Zocor, a cholesterol-lowering treatment, over similar products, like Lipitor from Pfizer, that the plaintiffs say are more cost-effective.

The New York Times

The current U.S. system: –relies unduly on expensive, retrospective government financing of disaster relief, rather than cheaper, prospective mechanisms; and.

Forbes

Last year an independent inquiry found the president had "unduly benefited" from the expensive upgrades, which included a pool and a cattle enclosure and cost about $23m £13.8mm).

BBC

Conducting observations in every site may be prohibitively expensive and unduly influence implementation.

British Medical Journal

Cross-cultural research calls for a degree of flexibility in sampling and recruitment as standard community sampling techniques can be unduly time-consuming and expensive [ 14].

BMC Public Health

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "unduly expensive", ensure the context clearly establishes a reasonable expectation of cost, against which the described item or service is being judged. This provides a stronger basis for your assessment.

Common error

A common mistake is to use "unduly expensive" simply to mean 'very expensive'. "Unduly" implies the expense is excessive in relation to its perceived value, necessity, or other relevant factors, not just a general statement of high cost.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "unduly expensive" functions as a modifier, specifically an adverb-adjective combination, to describe a noun (often an item, service, or project). As Ludwig AI highlights, it signifies that something's cost is excessively high in relation to its perceived value or necessity.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

30%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "unduly expensive" is a phrase used to describe something that is excessively priced relative to its worth, need, or other pertinent considerations. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness and usability in written English. It's prevalent in News & Media and Science contexts, suggesting a neutral to slightly formal register. The key is to use it when you believe the cost is not justified, rather than just to express that something is simply 'very expensive'. Alternatives include "unjustifiably costly" or "prohibitively costly", depending on the specific shade of meaning.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

unjustifiably costly

Replaces 'unduly' with 'unjustifiably', emphasizing the lack of fairness in the cost.

unnecessarily pricey

Substitutes 'expensive' with 'pricey' and 'unduly' with 'unnecessarily', making the phrase slightly more informal.

excessively high-priced

Replaces 'expensive' with 'high-priced' and 'unduly' with 'excessively', highlighting the extreme nature of the cost.

exorbitantly priced

Uses 'exorbitantly' to replace 'unduly expensive', indicating an unreasonably high price.

prohibitively costly

Emphasizes that the cost is so high it prevents purchase or action.

unreasonably priced

Focuses on the lack of reason or justification for the high cost.

overpriced

A simpler, more direct synonym for "unduly expensive", indicating the price is too high.

overly costly

Swaps 'expensive' with 'costly' and 'unduly' with 'overly', suggesting an excessive cost.

unwarrantedly high cost

Emphasizes that the high cost is not justified or deserved.

inordinately high-priced

Replaces 'unduly' with 'inordinately', intensifying the degree to which the price is high.

FAQs

What does "unduly expensive" mean?

"Unduly expensive" means something is more expensive than it should be, considering its value, necessity, or other relevant factors. It suggests the price is excessive or unjustified.

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

You can use "unduly expensive" to describe something overpriced. For example, "The repairs were "unjustifiably costly", making the project "unduly expensive"".

What are some alternatives to "unduly expensive"?

Alternatives include "unjustifiably costly", "prohibitively costly", or simply "overpriced". The best choice depends on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is "unduly expensive" the same as "very expensive"?

No, "unduly expensive" implies the price is excessive relative to some standard or expectation, while "very expensive" simply indicates a high price. Something can be very expensive without being "unduly expensive" if the high price is justified (e.g., a luxury item).