vast costs

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "vast costs" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe significant or extensive expenses associated with a particular project, initiative, or situation. Example: "The company faced vast costs in implementing the new technology, which impacted its overall budget."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

15 human-written examples

Some births in hospital can go wrong too, as the vast costs of clinical negligence illustrate.

Independent

Vast costs were incurred in the struggle to turn Chrysler around but last year it returned to profit.

The Economist

The economic case for space exploration has always been important, because of the vast costs and the indeterminate benefits.

The New Yorker

He contends that the internationally agreed Kyoto targets for reducing carbon dioxide emissions will impose vast costs for little result.

The New York Times - Science

This year's record wet winter will focus attention on the potentially vast costs of dealing with and preventing floods.

The Guardian

"This disruptive technology is potentially scalable for use in hospitals, gyms, hotels and anywhere where huge volumes of water are currently poured down the drain at vast costs".

The Guardian

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

45 human-written examples

Public sector infrastructure projects have vast cost overruns.

The Guardian - Opinion

An even bigger question is the vast cost of decommissioning and waste disposal.

The Guardian

Do you believe engineers have abolished the vast cost overruns of existing generations of reactors?

The Guardian

It also needs to be marketed, with customers secured upfront to finance the vast cost of extraction at scale.

The Economist

The owners have insisted that they need vast cost reductions to address a reported $300 million in annual losses.

The New York Times - Sports

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "vast costs", consider the audience and context. For a formal report, you might prefer "substantial expenditures", while a news article might stick with the more direct "vast costs".

Common error

Avoid using "vast costs" for relatively small amounts. The term implies expenses that are significantly large in the given context. Use less emphatic language for smaller amounts.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "vast costs" functions primarily as a noun phrase, where 'vast' modifies 'costs'. It describes expenses that are notably large or extensive. As supported by Ludwig, it's deemed grammatically correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Science

10%

Formal & Business

5%

Less common in

Wiki

3%

Encyclopedias

1%

Reference

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "vast costs" is a grammatically sound phrase used to describe significantly large expenses. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's appropriate for various writing styles, although the level of formality might influence the choice of alternatives like "substantial expenditures". Predominantly found in News & Media sources, the phrase emphasizes the magnitude of expenses, drawing attention to their financial implications. When employing "vast costs", ensure the context genuinely warrants the description of extremely large expenses. While technically versatile, more descriptive and precise alternatives can add clarity and nuance to the text. "Vast costs" is a common phrase, meaning it is found with relative frequency in up-to-date texts.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

huge expenses

Replaces "vast" with "huge", emphasizing the large scale of the expenses.

substantial expenditures

Uses more formal vocabulary; "substantial" for "vast" and "expenditures" for "costs".

astronomical expenses

Uses "astronomical" to convey the extremely high nature of the expenses.

prohibitive costs

Emphasizes that the costs are so high they may prevent an action.

enormous financial burden

Shifts focus to the impact of the costs as a burden.

massive financial implications

Highlights the broader implications of the costs, using "massive" for emphasis.

heavy financial toll

Highlights the damaging effect of the costs.

significant financial outlay

Replaces "vast costs" with a more formal and detailed description of spending.

extensive financial obligations

Focuses on the obligatory nature of the spending and uses "extensive" to describe the costs.

considerable economic impact

Focuses on the economic consequences of the costs rather than the costs themselves.

FAQs

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

You can use "vast costs" to describe expenses that are exceptionally large, such as, "The project incurred "vast costs" due to unexpected delays."

What are some alternatives to "vast costs"?

Alternatives include "huge expenses", "substantial expenditures", or "enormous financial burden", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it appropriate to use "vast costs" in formal writing?

Yes, "vast costs" is suitable for formal writing, but more precise terms like "substantial expenditures" or "significant financial outlay" might be preferred in some contexts.

What distinguishes "vast costs" from "high costs"?

"Vast costs" implies a greater magnitude than "high costs". "High costs" simply indicates that the expenses are above average, while "vast costs" suggests they are exceptionally large and potentially problematic.