Meaning & use

incur

verb·Academic

To become subject to something unwelcome, such as a cost, debt, or penalty, as a result of one's actions.

See it in a sentence

Paying the credit card late will cause you to incur an additional fee.

The company incurred heavy losses after the factory was forced to close for repairs.

A note on using this word

Incur almost always pairs with negative outcomes like costs, debts, damage, or wrath, not positive ones.

Words with a similar meaning

sustainaccruebring on

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Make it your own

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