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Definition of cost verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

cost

verb
 
/kɒst/
 
/kɔːst/
In sense 4 costed
 
/ˈkɒstɪd/
 
/ˈkɔːstɪd/
is used for the past tense and past participle.
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they cost
 
/kɒst/
 
/kɔːst/
he / she / it costs
 
/kɒsts/
 
/kɔːsts/
past simple cost
 
/kɒst/
 
/kɔːst/
past participle cost
 
/kɒst/
 
/kɔːst/
-ing form costing
 
/ˈkɒstɪŋ/
 
/ˈkɔːstɪŋ/
Idioms
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  1. if something costs a particular amount of money, you need to pay that amount in order to buy, make or do it
    • cost something How much did it cost?
    • I didn't get it because it cost too much.
    • Tickets cost ten dollars each.
    • Calls to the helpline cost 45p per minute.
    • Don't use too much of it—it cost a lot of money.
    • All these reforms will cost money (= be expensive).
    • Good food need not cost a fortune (= cost a lot of money).
    • cost somebody something The meal cost us about £40.
    • This is costing the taxpayer £10 billion a year.
    • cost something to do something The hospital will cost an estimated £2 billion to build.
    • It costs a fortune to fly first class.
    Topics Shoppinga1, Businessa1
  2. to cause the loss of something
    • cost somebody something That one mistake almost cost him his life.
    • The allegations cost me my job.
    • A late penalty cost United the game (= meant that they did not win the game).
    • Such behaviour could cost you your place in the team.
    • cost something The closure of the factory is likely to cost 1 000 jobs.
    • The war has cost the lives of countless civilians.
    Topics Difficulty and failureb1
  3. cost somebody something to involve you in making an effort or doing something unpleasant
    • The accident cost me a visit to the doctor.
    • Financial worries cost her many sleepless nights.
    • She would never know how much it cost him to tell her.
  4. to estimate how much money will be needed for something or the price that should be charged for something
    • cost something The project needs to be costed in detail.
    • fully costed proposals
    • cost something at something Their accountants have costed the project at $8.1 million.
    • cost something out Have you costed out these proposals yet?
    see also costing
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • fully
    • properly
    preposition
    • at
    See full entry
  5. Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French coust (noun), couster (verb), based on Latin constare ‘stand firm, stand at a price’.
Idioms
cost/pay an arm and a leg
  1. (informal) to cost/pay a lot of money
cost somebody dear
  1. to cost somebody a lot of money
    • The campaign for the presidency has cost her dear.
  2. to make somebody suffer a lot
    • That one mistake has cost him dear over the years.
it will cost you
  1. (informal) used to say that something will be expensive
    • There is a deluxe model available, but it'll cost you.
See cost in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee cost in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
halfway
adverb
 
 
From the Word list
Oxford 5000
C1
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