AFAIK, the answer is no. That is why people use the N() function.

N("this is a comment") returns zero. So we can add it to any numeric expression, and it "doesn't affect the actual formula".

Likewise, T(N("this is a comment")) returns the null string. So we append it to any string expression, and it "doesn't affect the actual formula".

Some care might need to be exercised, especially if you add comments that way in the middle of expressions instead of just at the end of a formula.

The performance impact should be negligible.

Of course, alternatively, you can add a comment to the cell. But that might not help when you want to document "pieces of the formula".