cannot afford it

/ˈkænət əˈfɔːrd ɪt/

lack the financial means to buy or do something

I cannot afford it, so I'll have to save up for a while.

The speaker lacks the money to purchase something and needs to save.

informal

To lack sufficient money to purchase or engage in something.

She cannot afford it, so she’ll have to wait until next month.

The person does not have enough money to buy something now.

We cannot afford it, so we’ll have to find a cheaper option.

The group lacks the financial resources to proceed with a plan.

This phrase is commonly used to express financial limitations.

Collocations

cannot afford toused to indicate financial inability to do something

to have enough money to do something

to be in a situation where failure is unacceptable

This phrase is typically used when discussing money and expenses.

Use this phrase to express financial limitations, not just any kind of inability.

Derived from the combination of 'cannot' (negative ability) and 'afford' (to have enough money for something).

This phrase is often used in informal contexts to discuss financial constraints.

cannot

negative ability

root

afford

to have enough money for something

root

refers to the object or activity in question

root

English Dictionary