incur
Americanverb (used with object)
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incurs,
present (3rd person singular)
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incurred,
past participle, past
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incurring
present participle
verb
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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
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incursimple
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incurssimple
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have incurredperfect
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has incurredperfect
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am incurringprogressive
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are incurringprogressive
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is incurringprogressive
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have been incurringperfect progressive
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has been incurringperfect progressive
Past
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incurredsimple
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had incurredperfect
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was incurringprogressive
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were incurringprogressive
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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
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Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
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"A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift
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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:
Strong demand for new models based on the firm's Neue Klasse platform meanwhile meant the company would incur charges to bring in extra shifts, it said.
From Barron's ● Nov. 3, 2026
Speedier installations shorten the period during which customers incur data center expenses without generating revenue.
From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026
If you are willing to incur greater risk, more power to you.
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
Considering that Dorus makes a little over a thousand guilders a year, it’s a huge expense for the Van Gogh family, one Dorus will later incur for Theo and Cor as well.
From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman
If LA28 incurs massive financial losses, the city would cover the first $270 million.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
According to Fifa regulations, a red card "automatically incurs suspension from the subsequent match" but the governing body "may impose additional match suspensions and other disciplinary measures".
From BBC ● Jul. 5, 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
The key drawback to the strategy is that selling the stock incurs a capital gain, and few investors like paying capital-gains taxes, even if it makes sense from a risk-management perspective.
From Barron's ● Apr. 29, 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
As if Albon was not already having a rough season, to top it he incurred the wrath of Fernando Alonso in Austin after the two collided on the first lap, leaving both with damaged cars.
From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2026
Nonspouse heirs have one year to claim tax-free reimbursements for eligible out-of-pocket expenses incurred up to the date of death, which reduces taxes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
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
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
Years later, Theodore Parker incurred the wrath of the pro-slavery forces in the country.
From "Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad" by Ann Petry
Google also reported greater-than-expected operating expenses and negative free cash flow, highlighting the staggering costs the company is incurring as it races to secure data center capacity and develop new AI models.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 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
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
The exemption, known as the de minimis rule, had helped Shein and rival Temu grow rapidly as it allowed packages worth less than $800 to enter the US without incurring import duties.
From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026
Moreover, he need not worry about incurring the infamy of those vices without which it would be difficult to save the state.
From "The Prince" by Niccolò Machiavelli
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
