Dictionary

incur en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ɪnˈkɝ/ (General-American)
• (US) audio
• /ɪnˈkɜː/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (Australia) audio

Etymology

From Middle English incurren, from Anglo-Norman encurir, Middle French encourir, from Old French encorre, from Latin incurrere.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To bring upon oneself or expose oneself to, especially something inconvenient, harmful, or onerous; to become liable or subject to.
   • Cruelty incurs calamity.
   • Near-synonym: contract (debts, etc.)
   • I've incurred scorn and odium for my actions.
   • And here it is to be noted that hatred is incurred as well on account of good actions as of bad; 1910, Nicholas Machiavelli, translated by Ninian Hill Thomson, The Prince, Chapter XIX:
   • VVherefore I beſeech every one vvhom it may concerne, to put on a ſerious diſplicence, upon theſe occaſions, that they may not incurre this menace of Chriſt, VVoe be unto you that laugh novv, but rather entitle themſelves to this promiſe of the Holy Ghoſt, They ſhall laugh in the latter day. 1648, Walter Montagu, “The Eleventh Treatise. Of Medisance or Detraction. §. II. Some Rules whereby to Square Our Discourse, and an Expedient Offered towards the Correction of Medisance.”, in Miscellanea Spiritualia: Or, Devout Essaies, London: […] W[illiam] Lee, D[aniel] Pakeman, and G[abriel] Bedell, […], →OCLC, page 135:
   • [T]he master in his wrath may easily incur worse evil himself than he inflicts—[...] 1891, “The Hellenica”, in Henry Graham Dakyns, transl., The works of Xenophon, Book 5, Chapter 3:
2. (transitive) To bring upon oneself or expose oneself to, especially something inconvenient, harmful, or onerous; to become liable or subject to. ▸ To render (somebody, or oneself) liable or subject to.
   • The least neglect of duty will incur[...] the penalty of thirty-nine well laid on in the morning. 1861, Francis Colburn Adams, “Chapter VII”, in An Outcast:
   • Lest you incur me much more damage in my fame than you have done me pleasure in preserving my life. 1605 August (first performance), Geo[rge] Chapman, Ben Ionson, Ioh[n] Marston, Eastward Hoe. […], London: […] [George Eld] for William Aspley, published September 1605, →OCLC, (please specify the page):
   • Near-synonyms: entail, invoke
3. (obsolete, transitive) To enter or pass into.
4. (intransitive, obsolete) To fall within a period or scope; to occur; to run into danger.

Forms

Coordinates

experience · sustain · experience · encounter · sustain · encounter

Deriveds

incurrable · nonincurred · reincur

Relateds

incursive · incurrence · incursion

Synonyms

invoke · contract · entail · contract · occasion

Translations (59)

ru подверга́ть (to expose oneself to something inconvenient) · es incurrir en (to expose oneself to something inconvenient) · de sich zuziehen (etwas) (to expose oneself to something inconvenient) · oc encorrir (to expose oneself to something inconvenient) · ru подверга́ть (to render liable or subject to; to occasion) · oc encòrrer (to expose oneself to something inconvenient) · fr encourir (to expose oneself to something inconvenient) · pl narazić się na niebezpieczeństwo (obsolete: to fall within a period or scope; to occur; to run into danger) · it esporsi (to expose oneself to something inconvenient) · pl ponieść (to render liable or subject to; to occasion) · fi aiheuttaa (to expose oneself to something inconvenient) · sv utsätta sig för (to expose oneself to something inconvenient) · de zurechnen (to render liable or subject to; to occasion) · pl narazić się (to expose oneself to something inconvenient) · fr impliquer (to render liable or subject to; to occasion) · de anrechnen (to render liable or subject to; to occasion) · fi saattaa itsensä alttiiksi (to expose oneself to something inconvenient) · fi aiheuttaa (to render liable or subject to; to occasion) · de sich aussetzen (etwas) (to expose oneself to something inconvenient) · pl wprowadzić (obsolete: to enter into) · ar كَبَّدَ (to render liable or subject to; to occasion) · de in Haftung nehmen (to render liable or subject to; to occasion) · da pådrage sig (to expose oneself to something inconvenient) · ru подвергну́ть (to expose oneself to something inconvenient) · sv ådra sig (to expose oneself to something inconvenient) · de (Risiko) eingehen (obsolete: to enter into) · lt pakliūti (to expose oneself to something inconvenient) · de implizieren (to render liable or subject to; to occasion) · pl wprowadzać (obsolete: to enter into) · de (Schulden) machen (to render liable or subject to; to occasion) · de zufügen (to expose oneself to something inconvenient) · pl narażać się na niebezpieczeństwo (obsolete: to fall within a period or scope; to occur; to run into danger) · pl zaciągać (to render liable or subject to; to occasion) · de sich einhandeln (etwas) (to expose oneself to something inconvenient) · ru подвергну́ть (to render liable or subject to; to occasion) · da udsætte sig for (to expose oneself to something inconvenient) · it incorrere (to expose oneself to something inconvenient) · no pådra seg (to expose oneself to something inconvenient) · ca incórrer (to expose oneself to something inconvenient) · fr occasioner (to render liable or subject to; to occasion) · de (etwas) auf sich nehmen (to expose oneself to something inconvenient) · ar كَبَّدَ (to expose oneself to something inconvenient) · pl narażać się (to expose oneself to something inconvenient) · fr subir (to expose oneself to something inconvenient) · de haftbar machen (to render liable or subject to; to occasion) · it implicare (to render liable or subject to; to occasion) · bg подлагам на (to render liable or subject to; to occasion) · pl ponosić (to render liable or subject to; to occasion) · pl zaciągnąć (to render liable or subject to; to occasion) · de heranziehen (to render liable or subject to; to occasion) · es incidir en (to expose oneself to something inconvenient) · de (Missfallen) erregen (to expose oneself to something inconvenient) · bg навличам си (to expose oneself to something inconvenient) · fi olla seurauksena (to render liable or subject to; to occasion) · nl zich blootstellen aan (to expose oneself to something inconvenient) · fr s'attirer (to expose oneself to something inconvenient) · de ein Risiko eingehen (obsolete: to fall within a period or scope; to occur; to run into danger) · fi seurata (to render liable or subject to; to occasion) · fr s'exposer à (to expose oneself to something inconvenient)