incur
Americanverb (used with object)
-
incurs,
present (3rd person singular)
-
incurred,
past participle, past
-
incurring
present participle
verb
-
to make oneself subject to (something undesirable); bring upon oneself
-
to run into or encounter
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
incursimple
-
incurssimple
-
have incurredperfect
-
has incurredperfect
-
am incurringprogressive
-
are incurringprogressive
-
is incurringprogressive
-
have been incurringperfect progressive
-
has been incurringperfect progressive
Past
-
incurredsimple
-
had incurredperfect
-
was incurringprogressive
-
were incurringprogressive
-
had been incurringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of incur
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin incurrere “to run into, come upon,” equivalent to in- in- 2 + currere “to run”; see current
Explanation
To incur is to get or receive — and usually it's something you brought upon yourself. If you don't pay your credit card bills on time, you'll likely incur lots of fees and some serious debt. Generally, when you incur something, that something is undesirable. You can incur penalties, expenses, a parking ticket, or a friend’s wrath, for example. But it's pretty unlikely that you'd incur free tickets to the World Series. Frederick Douglass once famously said, “I prefer to be true to myself, even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule of others, rather than to be false, and to incur my own abhorrence."
Vocabulary lists containing incur
Make a Run for It: Cur, Curs
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Speedier installations shorten the period during which customers incur data center expenses without generating revenue.
From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026
Just be prepared for the very real possibility that you will not earn enough to compensate you for the sleepless nights you may incur over the next 30 years.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026
The proposition also could incur additional costs for state and local governments depending on the attorney general’s interpretation of what constitutes program expenses.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
In the end, when he left, Coxon would write in a Slack message to Anthropic colleagues: “Without international coordination we will incur a risk of causing human extinction.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
Territorial empires are tightly controlled but costly to maintain; hegemonic empires are inexpensive to maintain, because the original local rulers incur the costs of administration, but the loose tie between master and vassal encourages rebellion.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
"But as any sailor knows, the longer a ship is out to sea, the more problems it incurs and the harder the days become for those onboard," he added.
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
If LA28 incurs massive financial losses, the city would cover the first $270 million.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
Encrypting and decrypting your traffic as you go about your online business incurs a cost, resulting in a speed hit on your connection.
From Salon ● Jun. 2, 2026
Shutting in an oil well risks long-term damage to reservoir pressure and incurs high restart costs, usually making it a measure of last resort.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 6, 2026
Also, even if a dangler is in no danger of being misinterpreted, enough readers have trained themselves to spot danglers that a writer who leaves it incurs the risk of being judged as slovenly.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
Because of that potential financial liability, Mejia’s office said that “Angelenos deserve full transparency from LA28 related to all spending and revenue incurred in the process of planning and executing the 2028 Olympic Games.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
Under Fifa's definition, a professional player has a written contract and is paid more than the expenses incurred playing.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
When Nebius raised $5.75 billion in convertible debt in August 2026, the effective interest rate it incurred increased significantly when the duration of the debt extended from 2030 to 2034.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026
But EDL, charged with maintaining the grid, is tackling large debts incurred during the expansion and due to consumer subsidies.
From Barron's ● Sep. 13, 2026
“It isn’t made or trimmed,” sighed Meg, faintly, for a sudden recollection of the cost still to be incurred quite overwhelmed her.
From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott
“So, I’m doing the company a double disservice by incurring a cost for something I don’t believe in.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026
Major airlines including JetBlue, United and American issued travel alerts allowing passengers to change their flights without incurring fees.
From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026
Despite his efforts to avoid incurring the wrath of Uncle Sam, Marset eventually came into the crosshairs of the DEA.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
The investment implication: Only during the first busy week of earnings season will you earn a return, on average, for incurring the risk of high-beta stocks.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026
Mainly he had learned that he could, occasionally at least, jump from his cage and wander around without incurring any anger or injury.
From "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH" by Robert C. O'Brien
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
