Incur

To become subject to (something unwelcome or unpleasant) as a result of one's own behavior or actions, To bring upon oneself (something undesirable) as a result of one's actions, To acquire or come into (something, typically a cost or expense), To experience or suffer (something undesirable)

Incur - Meanings

To become subject to (something unwelcome or unpleasant) as a result of one's own behavior or actions

Example: He incurred heavy losses due to his risky investments.

Usage: formalContext: business, finance, legal contexts

Note: Often used in professional settings to indicate negative consequences resulting from one's decisions or actions.

To bring upon oneself (something undesirable) as a result of one's actions

Example: She incurred the wrath of her boss by repeatedly coming late to work.

Usage: formalContext: work, professional relationships

Note: Commonly used in formal situations to describe consequences or repercussions faced due to one's behavior.

To acquire or come into (something, typically a cost or expense)

Example: The project incurred significant costs due to unexpected delays.

Usage: formalContext: business, finance, project management

Note: Frequently used in professional contexts to refer to accumulating costs or expenses.

To experience or suffer (something undesirable)

Example: The region incurred heavy damage from the recent storm.

Usage: formalContext: natural disasters, emergencies

Note: Often used in formal contexts to describe the impact of disasters or crises.

Incur's synonyms

To become subject to or bring upon oneself (usually something undesirable).

Example: He will incur heavy losses if he continues to invest in that risky venture.

Note: Original word

Incur expressions, common phrases

Incur expenses

To bring about or take on expenses, usually as a result of a particular action or decision.

Example: By expanding the business, we will incur additional expenses for marketing and hiring new staff.

Note: Incur alone refers to becoming subject to something undesirable, while 'incur expenses' specifically refers to taking on financial costs.

Incur a penalty

To experience or be subjected to a punishment or consequence due to a particular action.

Example: If you fail to submit your assignment on time, you will incur a penalty.

Note: Incur alone refers to becoming subject to something undesirable, while 'incur a penalty' specifically refers to facing a negative consequence or punishment.

Incur debt

To accumulate or take on financial obligations, especially by borrowing money.

Example: Many students incur significant debt while pursuing higher education.

Note: Incur alone refers to becoming subject to something undesirable, while 'incur debt' specifically refers to accumulating financial obligations through borrowing.

Incur losses

To suffer or experience financial setbacks or negative outcomes, typically in a business context.

Example: The company incurred heavy losses due to the economic downturn.

Note: Incur alone refers to becoming subject to something undesirable, while 'incur losses' specifically refers to facing financial setbacks or negative outcomes.

Incur wrath

To provoke or bring about someone's anger or displeasure.

Example: His reckless behavior incurred the wrath of his boss.

Note: Incur alone refers to becoming subject to something undesirable, while 'incur wrath' specifically refers to provoking someone's anger or displeasure.

Incur risk

To expose oneself to the possibility of danger, harm, or loss.

Example: Investing in the stock market incurs a certain level of risk.

Note: Incur alone refers to becoming subject to something undesirable, while 'incur risk' specifically refers to exposing oneself to potential harm or loss.

Incur a fine

To receive or be charged with a monetary penalty for violating a rule or law.

Example: Parking illegally may cause you to incur a fine from the authorities.

Note: Incur alone refers to becoming subject to something undesirable, while 'incur a fine' specifically refers to being charged with a monetary penalty for a violation.

Incur everyday (slang) expressions

In a pickle

This slang term means to be in a difficult situation or predicament, typically due to a mistake or unforeseen circumstance.

Example: I forgot my keys at home, so now I'm in a pickle trying to figure out how to get back inside.

Note: This phrase is a lighthearted and informal way of expressing being in a tough spot, as opposed to the more formal usage of 'incur' which refers to acquiring or becoming subject to something unpleasant or unwelcome.

Land oneself in hot water

To land oneself in hot water means to get into trouble or a problematic situation due to one's actions or decisions.

Example: He landed himself in hot water by lying about his whereabouts to his boss.

Note: While 'incur' often implies an unintentional consequence, 'land oneself in hot water' suggests that someone's actions directly led them into trouble.

Get into a jam

This slang term means to find oneself in a difficult or sticky situation that is hard to resolve.

Example: I got into a jam when my car broke down on the way to the airport.

Note: Unlike 'incur', 'get into a jam' is more colloquial and implies a sudden and unforeseen problem rather than something gradually accumulated.

Dig oneself into a hole

To dig oneself into a hole means to make a situation worse through one's actions, often by creating more problems or complexities.

Example: By continuously lying to cover up his mistake, he dug himself into a hole he couldn't get out of.

Note: This slang term emphasizes the idea of deepening one's problems through one's own actions, as opposed to simply incurring a negative consequence.

Get on the wrong side of

To get on the wrong side of someone is to anger, upset, or alienate them by one's words or actions.

Example: He got on the wrong side of the boss by criticizing her management style in front of colleagues.

Note: This slang term focuses on the relationship aspect of incurring negative consequences, specifically regarding the feelings or opinions of another person.

Step in it

To step in it means to say or do something that leads to trouble, embarrassment, or a problematic situation.

Example: She really stepped in it when she accidentally insulted his cooking at the dinner party.

Note: Unlike 'incur', 'step in it' emphasizes making a misstep or blunder that results in negative consequences, often through one's own actions.

Put oneself in a bind

To put oneself in a bind means to create a difficult situation for oneself through poor decision-making or actions.

Example: By procrastinating on his project until the last minute, he put himself in a bind where he couldn’t meet the deadline.

Note: This slang term highlights the element of personal responsibility in creating a challenging situation, unlike 'incur' which can sometimes imply external circumstances leading to negative outcomes.

Incur - Examples

Incur the wrath of your boss by missing the deadline.

The company incurred huge losses due to the pandemic.

She incurred a lot of debt by overspending on her credit card.

Incur grammar

Incur - Proper noun (Proper noun) / Proper noun, singular (Proper noun, singular)

Lemma: incur

Conjugations

Verb, past tense (Verb, past tense): incurred

Verb, gerund or present participle (Verb, gerund or present participle): incurring

Verb, 3rd person singular present (Verb, 3rd person singular present): incurs

Verb, base form (Verb, base form): incur

Verb, non-3rd person singular present (Verb, non-3rd person singular present): incur

Syllabification and Stress

incur Contains 2 syllables: in • cur

Phonetic transcription: in-ˈkər

in cur , in ˈkər (The red syllable is stressed)

Incur - Importance and usage frequency

The word frequency and importance index indicates how often a word appears in a given language. The smaller the number, the more frequently the word is used. The most frequently used words typically range from about 1 to 4000.

incur: ~ 4200 (Common).

This importance index helps you focus on the most useful words during your language learning process.

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