cost
A1 (verb), A2 (noun)Formal, informal, academic, business. Universally used across all registers.
Definition
Meaning
The amount of money, time, or effort required to obtain, produce, or achieve something.
The negative consequence or sacrifice involved in an action or decision; the price paid.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
As a noun, primarily countable for specific prices ('the cost of a ticket'), but can be uncountable in a general sense ('The cost of living is high'). The verb is irregular (cost-cost-cost).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is nearly identical. Potential minor difference: In UK business contexts, 'at cost' might be slightly more common than in US, but not significant.
Connotations
Identical. Both carry connotations of necessary expenditure and potential burden.
Frequency
Equally high frequency in both dialects.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[N] cost [PRICE] (It cost £20.)[N] cost [PRICE] [to-INF] (It cost a lot to fix.)[N] cost [N] [N] (The mistake cost him his job.)[N] cost [N] (The project will cost millions.)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “cost an arm and a leg”
- “at all costs”
- “count the cost”
- “to someone's cost”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to production expenses, overheads, pricing strategies, and profitability analysis.
Academic
Used in economics (opportunity cost), social sciences (social cost), and engineering (cost-benefit analysis).
Everyday
Used for shopping, services, travel, and discussing personal finances.
Technical
Specific accounting terms: fixed/variable cost, marginal cost, sunk cost.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The repairs will cost a fair few quid.
- His careless remark cost him the promotion.
- How much does a pint of milk cost these days?
American English
- The new sofa cost a pretty penny.
- That error could cost us the contract.
- How much does a gallon of gas cost over there?
adverb
British English
- The service is provided cost-free to members.
- They supplied the materials cost-neutrally.
American English
- The app is available cost-free for students.
- The project was run cost-efficiently.
adjective
British English
- We offer a cost-effective solution.
- The cost-neutral proposal was accepted.
American English
- We're looking for a cost-efficient method.
- It was a cost-free upgrade for existing users.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The book costs fifteen euros.
- What is the cost of a ticket?
- Food costs a lot here.
- The holiday cost more than we expected.
- We need to consider the environmental cost.
- The company is trying to cut costs.
- The new policy comes at a significant political cost.
- We must weigh the benefits against the potential costs.
- The accident cost him his driver's licence.
- The scandal ultimately cost the CEO his position and the company its reputation.
- The true cost of fast fashion is borne by the environment and low-wage workers.
- They conducted a detailed cost-benefit analysis before proceeding.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of COST as COinST: the coins you must hand over.
Conceptual Metaphor
ACTIONS ARE COMMERCIAL TRANSACTIONS (e.g., 'The decision cost him dearly'). TIME/OPPORTUNITIES ARE MONEY (e.g., 'It cost me three hours').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid confusing 'cost' (цена, стоимость) with 'worth' (ценность). 'Cost' is objective expenditure; 'worth' is subjective value.
- Do not use 'cost' for 'price' in the sense of a labeled figure on a tag; 'price' is more specific for that.
- The past tense 'cost' is the same as the base form. Do not say 'costed' for the price meaning (though 'costed' exists as a business term meaning 'estimated the cost of').
Common Mistakes
- Using 'costed' as the simple past for price (incorrect: *It costed £10).
- Confusing 'cost' and 'price' as verbs ('How much does it price?' is incorrect).
- Using uncountable form incorrectly ('The costs of living' instead of 'The cost of living').
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is the word 'cost' used INCORRECTLY?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
For its main meaning of 'have a price of' or 'cause the loss of', yes, the past is 'cost' (It cost £10, It cost him his job). The form 'costed' is only used in business/accounting to mean 'estimated the price of' (We costed the project carefully).
'Price' is the amount of money a seller asks for something. 'Cost' is more general: it's what the buyer pays (which could be the price), or what someone spends/sacrifices. A company's 'cost' to make something is different from its selling 'price'.
Absolutely. It is commonly used for time (It cost me three hours), effort, and negative consequences (The war cost many lives, His honesty cost him his job).
It means selling something for the amount it cost to produce or acquire it, without adding a profit margin (e.g., 'The club sells refreshments at cost').
Collections
Part of a collection
Shopping
A2 · 50 words · Vocabulary for buying and selling goods.