Meaning & use
incur
Last updated
Meanings
verbtransitiveformalfinance
To find yourself having to pay a cost, debt or fee as a result of something you have done.
Grammar: Takes a direct object that is a cost: incur expenses, not incur to expenses.
Patterns
- incur a cost
- incur a debt
The company incurred heavy costs when it had to recall the product.
If you cancel after Friday, you will incur a fee.
Students who borrow heavily may incur debts that take years to repay.
verbtransitiveformal
To bring something unpleasant, such as anger, blame or a penalty, upon yourself through your behavior.
Grammar: The object is something negative: incur someone's wrath.
Patterns
- incur someone's wrath
- incur a penalty
He incurred the manager's anger by arriving late again.
The player incurred a two-match ban for the tackle.
Anyone who criticizes the leader risks incurring public disapproval.
Word forms
| third person singular | incurs |
|---|---|
| past tense | incurred |
| past participle | incurred |
| -ing form | incurring |
Common combinations
- incur costs
- The charity tried not to incur unnecessary costs.
- incur a debt
- They incurred a large debt while building the house.
- incur someone's wrath
- She incurred her sister's wrath by borrowing the car.
- incur a penalty
- Late filing will incur a penalty.
- incur expenses
- Travel expenses incurred on the trip will be refunded.
Synonyms and how they differ
- suffer
- Suffer is broader and fits pain or loss you did not choose, while incur suggests the result of your own actions.
- sustain
- Sustain is used for injuries or damage, whereas incur is used for costs, debts and penalties.
- bring on
- Bring on is informal and can describe any unwelcome result, while incur is more formal and often financial.
Opposites
Word family
- incurred adjective
- already brought on, as in incurred costs
- incurrence noun
- the act of incurring, mostly in finance and law
- incursion noun
- a sudden hostile entry into a territory
- occur verb
- to happen, a different verb with a similar ending
Commonly confused: incur or occur?
incur vs occur
Occur means to happen and takes no object, while incur means to bring a cost or penalty on yourself.
Practice
If you break the contract early, you will ___ a penalty of two months' rent.
Choose one answer.
Incur is used for unwelcome consequences like penalties. Acquire is tempting, but it normally describes gaining something wanted.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “incur”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.