Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense costs, present participle costinglanguage note: The form cost is used in the present tense, and is also the past tense and past participle, exceptfor meaning [sense 4], where the form costed is used.
1. countable noun [usually singular]
The costof something is the amount of money that is needed in order to buy, do, or make it.
The cost of a loaf of bread has increased five-fold. [+ of]
In 1989 the price of coffee fell so low that in many countries it did not even coverthe cost of production. [+ of]
Badges are also available at a cost of £2.50. [+ of]
Synonyms: price, worth, expense, rate More Synonyms of cost
2. verb
If something costs a particular amount of money, you can buy, do, or make it for that amount.
This course is limited to 12 people and costs £50. [VERB amount]
Painted walls look much more interesting and don't cost much. [VERB amount]
It's going to cost me over $100,000 to buy new trucks. [V n amount]
Synonyms: sell at, come to, set (someone) back [informal], be priced at More Synonyms of cost
3. plural noun
Your costs are the total amount of money that you must spend on running your home or business.
Costs have been cut by 30 to 50 per cent.
The company admits its costs are still too high.
4. verb [usually passive]
When something that you plan to do or make is costed, the amount of money you need is calculated in advance.
Everything that goes into making a programme, staff, rent, lighting, is now costed. [beVERB-ed]
...apartments, a restaurant and a hotel, costed at around 10 million pounds. [VERB-ed]
Cost out means the same as cost.
...training days for charity staff on how to draw up contracts and cost out proposals. [VERBPARTICLE noun]
It is always worth having a loft conversion costed out. [have n V-ed P]
[Also VERB noun PARTICLE]
5. plural noun
If someone is ordered by a court of law to pay costs, they have to pay a sum of money towards the expenses of a court case they are involved in.
He was jailed for 18 months and ordered to pay £550 costs.
6. uncountable noun
If something is sold atcost, it is sold for the same price as it cost the seller to buy it.
...a store that provided soft drinks and candy bars at cost.
They started selling below cost to drive competition out of business.
7. singular noun
The costof something is the loss, damage, or injury that is involved in trying to achieve it.
In March Mr Salinas shut down the city's oil refinery at a cost of $500 million and5,000 jobs. [+ of]
He had to protect his family, whatever the cost to himself. [+ to]
8. verb
If an event or mistake costs you something, you lose that thing as the result of it.
...a six-year-old boy whose life was saved by an operation that cost him his sight. [VERB noun noun]
The increase will hurt small business and cost many thousands of jobs. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: lose, deprive of, cheat of More Synonyms of cost
9.
See at all costs
10.
See at any cost
11.
See count the cost
12.
See cost money
13.
See to one's cost
14. to cost someone dear
Phrasal verbs:
See cost out
More Synonyms of cost
cost in British English
(kɒst)
noun
1.
the price paid or required for acquiring, producing, or maintaining something, usually measured in money, time, or energy; expense or expenditure; outlay
2.
suffering or sacrifice; loss; penalty
count the cost to your health
I know to my cost
3.
a.
the amount paid for a commodity by its seller
to sell at cost
b.
(as modifier)
the cost price
4. (plural) law
the expenses of judicial proceedings
5. at any cost
6. at the cost of
verbWord forms: costs, costing or cost
7. (transitive)
to be obtained or obtainable in exchange for (money or something equivalent); be priced at
the ride cost three pounds
8.
to cause or require the expenditure, loss, or sacrifice (of)
the accident cost him dearly
9.
to estimate the cost of (a product, process, etc) for the purposes of pricing, budgeting, control, etc
Derived forms
costless (ˈcostless)
adjective
costlessly (ˈcostlessly)
adverb
Word origin
C13: from Old French (n), from coster to cost, from Latin constāre to stand at, cost, from stāre to stand
cost in American English
(kɔst; kɑst)
verb transitiveWord forms: cost or ˈcosting
1.
a.
to be obtained or obtainable for (a certain price); be priced at
b.
to cause or require the expenditure, loss, or experience of
victory cost him his health
orig. construed as a vi. with the apparent object an adverbial adjunct, and still felt as a vi. when used with an adverb
it cost him dearly
2. Word forms: ˈcosted or ˈcosting Business
to estimate the cost of making, producing, carrying out, etc., as a product or program
often with out
verb intransitive
3. Informal
to be expensive
noun
4.
a.
the amount of money, etc. asked or paid for a thing; price
b.
the amount spent in producing or manufacturing a commodity
c.
the amount paid for something by a dealer, contractor, etc.: a markup is usually added to arrive at a selling price
stoves sold at cost in a sale
5.
a.
the amount of money, time, effort, etc. required to achieve an end
b.
loss, sacrifice; detriment
to smoke at the cost of one's health
6. [pl.]; Law
the expenses of a lawsuit, esp. those assessed by the court against the losing party
Idioms:
at all costs
Word origin
ME costen < OFr coster < ML costare < L constare, to stand together, stand at, cost < com-, together + stare, to stand
cost in Retail1
(kɔst)
Word forms: (regular plural) costs
noun
(Retail: Supplier accounts)
The cost of an item is the amount the buyer has to pay the seller for it.
The cost for the replacement items was $2,200.
The cost as advertised was more than he was prepared to pay.
The cost of an item is the amount the buyer has to pay the seller for it.
cost in Retail2
(kɔst)
Word forms: (present) costs, (past) costed, (perfect) costed, (progressive) costing
verb
(Retail: Supplier accounts)
When you cost an item or a process, you calculate its cost to you or how much it will cost over its lifetime.
Having costed the likely loss of business that complete closure would cause, the manager decidedto keep the store open while repairs went on.
The less experienced retailer may neglect to cost everything in their business plan.
When you cost an item or a process, you calculate its cost to you or how much it will cost overits lifetime.
cost in Accounting
(kɔst)
Word forms: (present) costs, (past) costed, (perfect) costed, (progressive) costing
verb
(Accounting: Management)
If you cost or cost out a product or process, you estimate what it is going to cost, for the purposes of pricing or budgeting.
If we want to fully cost a particular product, for example, when we wish to set prices, we will need to knowall the expenses connected with that product.
We need to cost out the project in order to see exactly how much money is required.
If you cost out a product or process, you estimate what it is going to cost, for the purposesof pricing or budgeting.
cost accounting, cost center, cost of goods available for sale, cost of goods sold, cost overrun, current cost, fixed costs, historical cost, operating cost, opportunity cost, period costs, prime cost, product costs, standard cost, sunk cost, variable costs
Related wordsOrganizations have many different costs. There is a list of compound words containingcost at the beginning of this entry. See also the entries for expense and expenses.Costs involved in running a business, such as salaries, rent, and bills are knownas overhead.
More idioms containing
cost
count the cost
cost an arm and a leg
COBUILD Collocations
cost
annual cost
considerable cost
enormous cost
extra cost
full cost
huge cost
initial cost
input cost
reasonable cost
typical cost
upfront cost
Examples of 'cost' in a sentence
cost
There is a perception that green initiatives cost money.
Computing (2010)
Where they own large parts of their own infrastructure they should think about outsourcing to reduce costs.
Computing (2010)
The couple realise the high costs of making the kind of enhancements they would like.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It blamed economic uncertainty and staff costs.
The Sun (2016)
How much has the court case cost you?
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The financial costs and reputational damage of losing such a case are enormous.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Being forced to pay the legal costs of losing claimants is a steep price to pay for independence.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Then add another 20 per cent for unexpected costs.
The Sun (2016)
If his carelessness costs you, make him pay - he will get the message.
The Sun (2017)
The cost of paying people not to work runs into tens of billions.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
The one thing about tennis that is different from other sports is that it costs money.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
They might be able to help reduce additional tax costs by using specialist mortgages.
The Sun (2016)
What can we do over the rising cost of oil?
The Sun (2014)
This includes paying the reasonable cost of repairs and of cleaning furnishings.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Will they reduce costs and make healthcare more productive?
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The problems are the enormous cost and the damage to the countryside from the new route.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Young drivers can also cut costs by investing in extra training.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
So why does footie cost so much?
The Sun (2011)
The basic cost of making calls across the internet is almost nil.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
The big advantage of day schools is that the costs should be lower.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The cost of the case will be funded by the taxpayer.
The Sun (2008)
The costs of buying these permits are passed to consumers via higher bills.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
This amounts to a real cost to business.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
They cost twice the price of an apple.
Joanna Blythman SHOPPED: The Shocking Power of British Supermarkets (2004)
The move could cost the party millions of pounds.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Dairy farmers warn it will plunge milk below cost price and put many out of business.
The Sun (2012)
They like to think that he will be left to count the cost.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
The time to count the cost is in advance.
Christianity Today (2000)
This happened to coincide with an increase in commodity costs.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The aviation industry has been wounded in recent years by rising fuel prices and stubbornly high labour costs.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Calls cost 77p per minute plus network extras.
The Sun (2012)
Why does the house you ache to buy always cost 15 per cent more than your budget?
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
In other languages
cost
British English: cost /kɒst/ NOUN
The cost of something is the amount of money needed to buy, do, or make it.
...the cost of electricity.
American English: cost
Arabic: تَكْلِفَة
Brazilian Portuguese: custo
Chinese: 成本
Croatian: trošak
Czech: náklady
Danish: pris omkostning
Dutch: kosten
European Spanish: coste
Finnish: hinta kulut
French: coût
German: Kosten
Greek: κόστος
Italian: costo
Japanese: コスト
Korean: 비용
Norwegian: kostnad
Polish: koszt
European Portuguese: custo
Romanian: cost
Russian: стоимость
Latin American Spanish: costo
Swedish: kostnad
Thai: ค่าใช้จ่าย
Turkish: maliyet
Ukrainian: вартість
Vietnamese: chi phí
British English: cost /kɒst/ VERB
If something costs a particular amount of money, you can buy, do, or make it for that amount.
It costs too much to buy a new one.
American English: cost
Arabic: يُكَلِّفُ
Brazilian Portuguese: custar
Chinese: 花费
Croatian: koštati
Czech: stát cena
Danish: koste
Dutch: kosten
European Spanish: costar
Finnish: maksaa olla hintana
French: coûter
German: kosten
Greek: κοστίζω
Italian: costare
Japanese: かかる 費用
Korean: 비용이 들다
Norwegian: koste
Polish: kosztować
European Portuguese: custar
Romanian: a costa
Russian: стоить
Latin American Spanish: costar
Swedish: kosta
Thai: มีมูลค่า
Turkish: mal olmak
Ukrainian: коштувати
Vietnamese: phải trả
All related terms of 'cost'
cost jobs
A job is the work that someone does to earn money.
cost out
cost-plus
A cost-plus basis for a contract about work to be done is one in which the buyer agrees to pay the seller or contractor all the cost plus a profit.
cost rent
(in Britain) the rent of a dwelling calculated on the cost of providing and maintaining the property without allowing for a profit
full cost
The cost of something is the amount of money that is needed in order to buy, do, or make it.
huge cost
The cost of something is the amount of money that is needed in order to buy , do, or make it.
low-cost
relatively inexpensive
sunk cost
A sunk cost is an expense that you have already paid for or committed to and which you cannot change .
unit cost
The unit cost is the amount of money that it costs a company to produce one article.
actual cost
the cost of a product based on incurred costs of material and labor required in its production
annual cost
The cost of something is the amount of money that is needed in order to buy , do, or make it.
common cost
costs assignable to two or more products, operations , departments , etc., of a company
cost burden
If you describe a problem or a responsibility as a burden , you mean that it causes someone a lot of difficulty , worry , or hard work.
cost center
A cost center is a department in a company that does not bring the company direct profit .
cost centre
a unit, such as a department of a company, to which costs may be allocated for cost accounting purposes
cost lives
If you refer to someone's life , you mean their state of being alive , especially when there is a risk or danger of them dying.
cost money
If you say that something costs money , you mean that it has to be paid for, and perhaps cannot be afforded .
cost price
If something is sold at cost price , it is sold for the same price as it cost the seller to buy it.
direct cost
a cost that can be related directly to the production of a product or to a particular function or service
extra cost
The cost of something is the amount of money that is needed in order to buy , do, or make it.
factor cost
(in social accounting) valuation of goods and services at their overall commercial cost , including markups but excluding indirect taxes and subsidies
fixed cost
a cost unvarying with a change in the volume of business ( distinguished from variable cost )
input cost
The cost of something is the amount of money that is needed in order to buy , do, or make it.
plant cost
the cost to a business of mechanical equipment
prime cost
the portion of the cost of a commodity that varies directly with the amount of it produced, principally comprising materials and labour
baseline cost
the projected cost for an undertaking at the time it is budgeted
capital cost
a cost incurred on the purchase of land, buildings, construction and equipment to be used in the production of goods or the rendering of services
cost analysis
an economic evaluation
cost-benefit
denoting or relating to a method of assessing a project that takes into account its costs and its benefits to society as well as the revenue it generates
cost control
the limiting of expenditure
cost-cutting
the reduction of costs
cost estimate
an estimate of how much something will cost
cost overrun
A cost overrun is a cost that is more than the amount budgeted .
cost savings
A saving is a reduction in the amount of time or money that is used or needed .
current cost
The current cost of assets is their current value, or what it would cost to replace them at this time.
enormous cost
The cost of something is the amount of money that is needed in order to buy, do, or make it.
indirect cost
a business cost that is not directly accountable to a particular function or product; a fixed cost, as a land tax or the like
initial cost
The cost of something is the amount of money that is needed in order to buy, do, or make it.
marginal cost
the cost of one additional unit of any item produced or bought in quantity
standard cost
the predetermined budgeted cost of a regular manufacturing process against which actual costs are compared
typical cost
The cost of something is the amount of money that is needed in order to buy , do, or make it.
upfront cost
The cost of something is the amount of money that is needed in order to buy , do, or make it.
variable cost
a cost that varies directly with output
at any cost
If you say that something must be done at any cost , you are emphasizing that it must be done, even if this requires a lot of effort or money .
cost accounting
Cost accounting is the recording and analysis of all the various costs of running a business .
cost advantage
An advantage is something that puts you in a better position than other people.
cost-conscious
having an awareness of costs; careful about spending
cost-effective
Something that is cost-effective saves or makes a lot of money in comparison with the costs involved.
cost-in-use
the cost of owning, running , or using something
historical cost
The historical cost of an asset is its original cost when it was first acquired by a company.
Chinese translation of 'cost'
cost
(kɔst)
Word forms:ptppcost
n
(c)价(價)格 (jiàgé) (种(種), zhǒng)
⇒ the cost of a loaf of bread一条面包的价格 (yī tiáo miànbāo de jiàgé)
(c/u) (fig, = loss, damage etc) 代价(價) (dàijià)
⇒ The cost in human life was enormous.付出了巨大的生命代价。 (Fùchūle jùdà de shēngmìng dàijià.)
vt
(= be priced at) 价(價)格为(為) (jiàgé wéi)
⇒ It cost five thousand dollars.价格为5000美元。 (Jiàgé wéi wǔqiān měiyuán.)
(Comm, = work out cost of)[project, purchase etc] (pt, pp costed) 估价(價) (gūjià)
how much does it cost?这(這)多少钱(錢)？ (zhè duōshao qián?)
it cost me fifty pounds这(這)花了我50英镑(鎊) (zhè huāle wo wǔshí yīngbàng)
it costs 5 pounds/too much价(價)格为(為)5英镑(鎊)/太高 (jiàgé wéi wǔ yīngbàng/tàigāo)
what will it cost to have it repaired?修理它要多少钱(錢)？ (Xiūlǐ tā yào duōshǎo qián?)
it cost him his life/job这(這)让(讓)他付出了生命/失去工作的代价(價) (zhè ràng tā fùchūle shēngmìng/shīqù gōngzuò de dàijià)
the cost of living生活费(費)用 (shēnghuó fèiyòng)
at all costs不惜一切代价(價) (bùxī yīqiè dàijià)
Derived Forms
costsn pl
(= overheads) 成本 (chéngběn)
(Law) 诉(訴)讼(訟)费(費)用 (sùsòng fèiyòng)
All related terms of 'cost'
the cost of living
生活费(費)用 shēnghuó fèiyòng
wine will cost extra
酒另外收钱(錢) jiǔ lìngwài shōuqián
how much does it cost?
这(這)多少钱(錢)？ zhè duōshao qián?
it cost me fifty pounds
这(這)花了我50英镑(鎊) zhè huāle wo wǔshí yīngbàng
they cost 5 pounds each
每个(個)售价(價)5镑(鎊) měigè shòujià wǔ bàng
it cost him his life/job
这(這)让(讓)他付出了生命/失去工作的代价(價) zhè ràng tā fùchūle shēngmìng/shīqù gōngzuò de dàijià
it won't cost you a penny
这(這)不会(會)花你一分一厘(釐) zhè bù huì huā nǐ yī fēn yī lí
to cost an arm and a leg
( inf ) 要价(價)过(過)高 yàojià guò gāo
to count the cost of sth
计(計)算某事的成本 jìsuàn mǒushì de chéngběn
it cost more than we expected
比我们(們)预(預)料得更贵(貴) bǐ wǒmen yùliào de gèng guì
what will it cost to have it repaired?
修理它要多少钱(錢)？ Xiūlǐ tā yào duōshǎo qián?
the cost is now put at 20 million pounds
现(現)在成本估计(計)为(為)20亿(億)英镑(鎊) xiànzài chéngběn gūjì wéi èrshí yì yīngbàng
1 (noun)
Definition
the amount of money, time, or energy required to obtain or produce something
The cost of a loaf of bread has increased five-fold.
Synonyms
price
a sharp increase in the price of petrol
What's the price on that one?
worth
Buyers are usually prepared to spend about 1 per cent of their total worth on art.
expense
She has refurbished the whole place at vast expense.
rate
specially reduced rates
charge
We can arrange this for a small charge.
figure
It's hard to put a figure on the damage.
damage (informal)
What's the damage for these tickets?
amount
payment
expenditure
The government should reduce their expenditure on defence.
outlay
Once the initial outlay has been made they are reasonably cheap to operate.
2 (noun)
Definition
suffering or sacrifice
a person who always looks after `number one', whatever the cost to others
Synonyms
loss
His death is a great loss to us.
suffering
damage
There have been many reports of minor damage to buildings.
injury
The two other passengers escaped serious injury.
penalty
hurt
I am sorry for any hurt that it may have caused.
expense
harm
It would probably do the economy more harm than good.
sacrifice
They have not suffered any sacrifice of identity.
deprivation
Unemployment can sometimes cause social deprivation.
detriment
He supported his partner's career to the detriment of his own.
(plural noun)
The company admits its costs are still too high.
Synonyms
expenses
spending
expenditure
overheads
We have to cut costs in order to reduce overheads.
outgoings
Try to keep track of your monthly outgoings.
outlay
budget
1 (verb)
Definition
to be obtained or obtainable in exchange for
The course is limited to 12 people and costs £50.
Synonyms
sell at
come to
set (someone) back (informal)
be priced at
command a price of
2 (verb)
Definition
to involve the loss or sacrifice of
The operation saved his life, but cost him his sight.
Synonyms
lose
deprive of
cheat of
phrase
See at all costs
Additional synonyms
in the sense of charge
Definition
a price charged for something
We can arrange this for a small charge.
Synonyms
price,
rate,
cost,
amount,
payment,
expense,
toll,
expenditure,
outlay,
damage (informal)
in the sense of damage
Definition
cost
What's the damage for these tickets?
Synonyms
cost,
price,
charge,
rate,
bill,
figure,
amount,
total,
payment,
expense,
outlay
in the sense of damage
Definition
injury or harm caused to a person or thing
There have been many reports of minor damage to buildings.