Meaning of cost In English

• 0 the amount of money needed to buy, do, or make something:

  • When you buy a new computer, you usually get software included at no extra cost (= for no additional money).

  • In most families, two salaries are essential to cover the cost of (= pay for) raising a family.

  • The supermarket chain announced that it was cutting the cost (= reducing the price) of all its fresh and frozen meat.

  • It's difficult for most people to deal with the rising cost of (= increasing price of) healthcare.

  • I was able to buy the damaged goods at cost (= for only the amount of money needed to produce or get the goods, without any extra money added for profit).

  • We need to cut our advertising costs.

  • The estimated costs of the building project are well over £1 million.

• 1 something that is given, needed, or lost in order to get a particular thing:

  • We were going to paint the house ourselves, but when we considered the cost in time and effort, we decided to get a painter to do it for us.

  • The driver managed not to hit the child who ran in front of his car, but only at the cost of injuring himself.

  • She has finally got the job she wanted, but at great personal cost (= she has had to give up other things that were important to her).

  • UK It's not worth getting into an argument with Paula, as I learned to my cost (= from my unpleasant experience of having done so).

• 2 If something costs an amount of money, you must pay that amount to buy or do it:

  • "How much does this book cost?" "It costs £25."

  • It costs a lot to buy a house in this part of Sydney.

  • [ + two objects ] The trip will cost you $1,000.

  • My boss asked me to cost the materials for the new fence and gate.

  • Has your plan been properly costed (out)?

• 3 to cause someone to lose or destroy something valuable:

  • Drinking and driving costs lives (= can cause accidents in which people die).

  • [ + two objects ] His affairs cost him his marriage (= his marriage ended because of them).

• 4 the amount of money needed to buy, do, or make something, or an amount spent for something:

  • [ C ] Education costs continue to rise.

  • [ U ] Most computers come with software included at no extra cost.

  • [ U ] The area has both high-cost and low-cost housing.

• 5 that which is given, needed, or lost in order to obtain something:

  • He supported the refugees at great personal cost.

• 6 to need you to pay a particular amount of money in order for you to buy or do something:

  • The trip will cost (you) $1000.

  • It costs a lot to buy a house these days.

• 7 to be forced to give or lose something in order to obtain something:

  • If you give him a chance to hit the ball, it could cost you the ballgame.

• 8 money that has to be spent in order to buy, do, or make something:

  • Some people are reluctant to seek the help of a financial adviser because of the cost.

  • the cost of (doing) sth What's the cost of an international call?

  • cut/lower/reduce the cost If states shared the risk of catastrophic events, this would lower the cost for policyholders.

  • increase/raise/push up the cost New standards will increase the cost of making and selling diesel vehicles.

  • the cost increases/rises/goes up Raw material costs have risen faster than expected.

  • the cost goes down/drops/falls The cost of farm subsidies is expected to fall thanks to large exports and healthy prices.

  • an increase/rise in the cost of sth an increase in the cost of goods and services

  • travel/childcare/healthcare costs All travel costs will be reimbursed by your employer.

  • legal/medical/insurance costs Republican candidates offered tax credits to lower health insurance costs.

  • high/rising/spiralling cost(s) Spiralling fuel costs have hit motorists hard.

  • additional/average/extra cost The average cost of insuring a family car in 2011 was £360.

  • estimated/projected cost Total projected cost is $2.5 billion.

  • cover/pay/meet the cost A one-off disposal fee covers the cost of collection and recycling

  • at a cost of $4 billion/£150,000, etc. plans to build ten new power stations at a cost of £2 billion each

  • the cost to sb "What will the cost to taxpayers be?" is the question on everyone's lips.

  • Strategic alliances can provide growth at a fraction of the cost of going it alone.

  • Apartments in Brooklyn often sell at half the cost of apartments in Manhattan.

• 9 money that a company or organization has to spend regularly:

  • Company legislation deals with key issues such as costs, advertising, and promotional spend.

  • the costs of (doing) sth Small companies find it hard to bear the costs of promotion and distribution.

  • cut/reduce/rein in costs There was a drive to cut costs by using fewer suppliers.

  • high/rising/escalating costs Escalating costs have adversely affected profits.

  • increase/rise in costs Technological advances have sparked most of the rise in costs, industry analysts claimed.

  • reduction in costs A reduction in costs should help boost end-of-year figures.

  • administrative/labour/production costs

  • energy/fuel costs

  • additional/actual/extra costs The OFT said yesterday that credit card providers could only charge for the actual costs of processing late payments.

  • incur costs Adequate compensation should be provided for any costs incurred.

  • cover/recover/recoup costs Because private farmers can't recoup their costs, they are cutting production.

  • costs rise/go up/increase Staff costs have risen by 20% in the past two years.

  • costs come/go down Alternative energy sources will become more widely used as costs come down.

• 10 the amount of money that is spent to produce goods or services, before any profit is added for the manufacturer or producer:

  • Mass-market retailers often sell items such as bread and milk at cost to pull in customers.

  • Supermarkets were accused of encouraging irresponsible drinking by selling beer and cider at below cost.

• 11 an amount of money that a company has to pay and that appears in its accounts:

  • The amount paid for the lease should be entered as a cost in the profit and loss account.

  • The depreciation of the value of equipment is treated as a cost.

• 12 something that is given, needed or lost in order to get a particular thing:

  • cost to sb/sth We will help you run your business with less cost to the environment.

  • at a cost to sth She continued in the job, but at a great cost to her health.

  • cost in sth They felt that continuing with the project was not worth the cost in time and effort.

  • considerable/enormous/great cost

• 13 the money that helps pay for the lawyers and the court in a legal case, usually paid by the person or organization that has lost the case:

  • They were fined $50,000 and ordered to pay $10,000 in costs.

• 14 if something costs a particular amount of money, you have to pay that amount in order to buy or have it:

  • cost $1 million/£500,000, etc. Calls cost 60 cents per minute.

  • cost sb $1 million/£500,00, etc. Deregulation allowed the company to fix electricity prices, costing consumers billions of dollars.

  • cost more/less than Stamp duty is up to 3% on properties costing more than £250,000.

  • cost about/around/up to luxury apartments costing up to £900,000 each

  • be expected/estimated to cost The project, which was originally expected to cost $1 billion, is now estimated at $1.8 billion

  • cost as little/much as Hundreds of items, some costing as little as $1, are for sale.

• 15 if something costs you your job, an opportunity, etc. it prevents you from keeping or having it:

  • The airline folded, costing 3.000 jobs.

  • cost sb sth Problems with our suppliers could cost us the opportunity to grow our business.

• 16 to calculate the price of something or to decide how much it will cost:

  • Has the project been costed yet?

  • cost sth at The new rail line was costed at £150 billion.

• 17 to be very expensive:

  • The court case will cost the company a fortune.