toll
B1Formal, Neutral, News
Definition
Meaning
A charge or fee paid for the use of a particular service, road, bridge, etc., or the cost or damage resulting from something, especially over time.
The number of deaths, injuries, or casualties resulting from an accident, disaster, or period of conflict. Also, the slow, single stroke of a large bell.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The three main senses (payment, death/casualty count, bell sound) are etymologically connected via the idea of a 'tax' or 'cost'. The bell sense comes from the historical practice of ringing a bell to announce a tax or death.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No major differences in meaning. In the payment sense, 'toll road' is standard in both. 'Toll-free' (for a telephone number) is more common in AmE, while 'Freephone' is a common UK equivalent.
Connotations
Similar connotations of cost, burden, and mortality in both varieties.
Frequency
The casualty count sense is significantly more frequent in news/media contexts globally.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
The X took a heavy toll on Y.The death toll from X rose to Y.X began to toll (for Y).You must pay a toll to use X.Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “take its toll”
- “the final toll (bell)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to transaction costs or charges for infrastructure use, e.g., 'toll processing fees'.
Academic
Used in economics for 'congestion tolls', in history/sociology for the human cost of events.
Everyday
Associated with paying to use a road or bridge, or the negative effect of stress.
Technical
In telecommunications, a long-distance call charge. In civil engineering, a fee for infrastructure.
Examples
By Part of Speech
noun
British English
- The M6 Toll is a motorway you must pay to use.
- The toll from the pandemic was devastating.
- We heard the solemn toll of the cathedral bell.
American English
- There's a $5 toll to cross the Verrazzano Bridge.
- The hurricane's death toll continues to climb.
- The funeral toll echoed across the town square.
verb
British English
- The great bell began to toll for the fallen monarch.
American English
- Church bells tolled across the city on the day of remembrance.
adverb
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
adjective
British English
- Call this toll-free number for customer support.
American English
- He made a toll call to his family overseas.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- We paid a toll to cross the bridge.
- The bell tolls at noon.
- The long journey took a toll on the car.
- What is the toll for using this motorway?
- The economic crisis has taken a severe toll on small businesses.
- Officials have revised the earthquake's death toll upward.
- The psychological toll of sustained isolation should not be underestimated.
- The bells tolled mournfully, marking the end of an era.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a TOLL BOOTH on a bridge where you pay a cost (TOLL) to cross. If the bridge collapses, the news reports the death TOLL—another kind of cost.
Conceptual Metaphor
LIFE/HEALTH IS A RESOURCE THAT CAN BE DEPLETED (e.g., 'The illness took a toll on her stamina.').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Не переводите "death toll" дословно как "смертельный налог". Это "число погибших".
- "Take its toll" — это идиома, означающая негативные последствия, а не просто "брать плату".
- "Toll-free number" — это "бесплатный номер", а не "свободный от потерь номер".
Common Mistakes
- Using 'toll' to mean a general 'price' for goods (e.g., 'the toll of the book' is incorrect).
- Confusing 'toll' (bell) with 'tall'.
- Using 'toll' as a verb for all payment contexts (it's specific).
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'toll' used to mean 'the cost in lives'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, while common for infrastructure, its main extended meanings are the 'casualty count' from a disaster and the 'sound of a large bell'.
A 'toll' is typically a charge for the use of a specific piece of infrastructure or a service considered a public utility. A 'fee' is more general, paid for any service (e.g., lawyer's fee, admission fee).
No, the idiom 'take a toll' or 'take its toll' almost exclusively describes a gradual, negative effect that drains or damages someone or something.
Yes, in all its noun senses. You can have 'a toll', 'several tolls', 'high tolls'. The idiom 'take a toll' uses the singular indefinite article.