cost
gb/kˈɔst/ us/kˈɔst/
A1
Anglais
~ 1000
Sens
0 sens
Nom
A2
quantity
1
Price of something
The money you need to pay for something.
Schéma d’usage :
the cost of [something]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes confuse 'cost' with 'price' — 'price' is what is charged, 'cost' can mean what you pay or what it takes to produce.
Synonymes
price (The most common alternative; often interchangeable but 'price' is more about the set charge, while 'cost' can also imply expense to the seller.)
Antonymes
income (Opposite in the sense of money going out vs. money coming in.)
Collocations
high cost
|low cost
|cost of living
|production cost
|at no cost
Thèmes
business
|daily life
|commerce
|finance
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- The cost of the new phone is too high for me.
- They are trying to reduce the cost of production.
- The total cost came to $500.
- Health care costs have risen sharply this year.
Exemples pédagogiques
- The cost of the book is five dollars.
- What is the cost of the ticket?
- The cost is too high for me.
- We must pay the full cost.
Verbe
A1
action
2
Require payment of money
To need a certain amount of money to buy or do something.
Schéma d’usage :
[something] costs [amount]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes use 'is cost' instead of 'costs' when speaking about prices.
Synonymes
charge ('Charge' focuses on what the seller asks for, while 'cost' focuses on what is needed to pay.)
Antonymes
earn (Opposite in terms of money going out versus money coming in.)
Collocations
cost a fortune
|cost too much
|cost $10
|cost an arm and a leg
Thèmes
daily life
|commerce
|finance
|business
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- This meal will cost you $20.
- The repairs could cost more than the car is worth.
- It costs a lot to live in this city.
Exemples pédagogiques
- The shoes cost fifty dollars.
- How much does this shirt cost?
- It costs a lot to travel there.
Nom
B1
entity
3
Something sacrificed for gain
Something you lose or give up to get something else.
Schéma d’usage :
at the cost of [something]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners may confuse this with financial meaning; here it refers to non-money sacrifices.
Synonymes
sacrifice ('Sacrifice' emphasizes the deliberate giving up of something valuable, while 'cost' can be more general.)
Antonymes
benefit (Benefit is the positive outcome, opposite to the loss implied by 'cost'.)
Collocations
at great cost
|personal cost
|emotional cost
Thèmes
life choices
|business
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- He achieved success, but at the cost of his health.
- They won the case at great personal cost.
- The project was completed at the cost of employee morale.
Exemples pédagogiques
- He got the job at the cost of his free time.
- She passed the exam at the cost of her health.
- We finished early at the cost of quality.
Verbe
B1
action
4
Cause loss or harm
To make someone lose something important (not money).
Schéma d’usage :
[something] costs [someone] [something valuable]
Synonymes
deprive ('Deprive' means to take away directly; 'cost' implies as a result of an action or event.)
Antonymes
reward ('Reward' gives something valuable instead of taking it away.)
Collocations
cost dearly
|cost someone their life
|cost someone their job
Thèmes
life choices
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- His mistake cost him his job.
- The accident nearly cost her her life.
- That comment may cost you your friendship with him.
Exemples pédagogiques
- The lie cost him his best friend.
- Her mistake cost her the race.
- The war cost many lives.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
cost
API
GB/kˈɔst/
US/kˈɔst/
Syllabes et accentuation
cost (1 syllabe)
Stress on 1st syllable (cost)
Formes du mot
Noun
- Base: cost
- Plural: cost, costs
Verb
- Base: cost
- 3rd Person Singular: costs
- Present Participle: costing
- Past: cost, costed
- Past Participle: cost
Famille de mots
Forms
costs
noun
costing
verb
costed
verb
Related words
costly
adjective B1
Points clés
- Irregular past participle: cost Verb
Expressions
at all costs
1/ˈæt ˈɔl kˈɔsts/
idiom
Do regardless of obstacles
Do something no matter how hard or dangerous it is.
Exemples
- We must protect the children at all costs.
- Avoid injury at all costs during training.
at the cost of
1/ˈæt ðə kˈɔst əv/
fixed phrase
In exchange for losing something valuable
When you get something but lose something else important for it.
Exemples
- He finished the project at the cost of his health.
- They won at the cost of their friendship.
hidden costs
1/hˈɪdən kˈɔsts/
fixed phrase
Extra expenses not obvious at first
Extra money you must pay that you did not know about before.
Exemples
- Be aware of hidden costs when signing the contract.
- There are hidden costs in maintaining an old house.
true cost
1/tɹˈu kˈɔst/
fixed phrase
Actual total expense including indirect effects or losses
The real amount something costs, including extra or hidden parts.
Exemples
- The true cost of cheap clothing includes environmental damage.
- We need to calculate the true cost before deciding.
cost an arm and a leg
1/kˈɔst ən ˈɑɹm ˈænd ə lˈɛɡ/
idiom
informal
Be very expensive
Be very expensive; cost a lot of money.
Exemples
- That car cost me an arm and a leg.
- That designer bag costs an arm and a leg.
- The repairs will cost an arm and a leg.
- The trip will cost an arm and a leg if we fly first class.
cost an arm and a leg
2/kˈɔst ən ˈɑɹm ˈænd ə lˈɛɡ/
idiom
informal
Be very expensive
To be very expensive to buy or get.
Exemples
- That designer bag cost an arm and a leg.
- Going to college can cost an arm and a leg.