# cost

/ˈkɑst/ (US) · /kˈɒst/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/cost
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. price of an item

noun · CEFR A1

the amount of money you need to pay to buy or do something.

For teachers: the amount of money, time, or resources required to purchase or produce something.

- The cost of a new laptop has gone down recently.
- The total cost of the renovation exceeded the initial budget by nearly twenty percent due to unforeseen structural issues.

### 2. negative consequence

noun · CEFR B2

the effort, loss, or suffering needed to achieve something.

For teachers: the loss, sacrifice, or penalty incurred in the pursuit of an objective.

- He won the race, but the cost was a serious leg injury.
- The environmental cost of rapid industrialisation is often overlooked in short-term economic forecasts.

### 3. to have a price

verb · CEFR A1

to have a specific price or require a certain amount of money.

For teachers: to require the payment of a specified sum or the expenditure of resources.

- How much does this shirt cost?
- Maintaining a vintage sports car can cost thousands of dollars in specialised parts and labour every year.

Usage: The verb is usually stative and not used in the continuous (-ing) form when referring to price.

### 4. to cause a loss

verb · CEFR B1

to cause someone to lose something valuable, like a job or a life.

For teachers: to result in the loss or unpleasant sacrifice of something.

- One small mistake cost him his job at the bank.
- The general's tactical error cost the lives of hundreds of soldiers during the retreat.

### 5. to estimate a price

verb · CEFR C1 · Technical

to calculate how much a task or project will cost.

For teachers: to estimate or calculate the likely cost of a project or service.

- We need to cost the project before we sign the contract.
- The accountants spent three days costing the proposed expansion to ensure it was financially viable.

Usage: In this specific sense of 'calculating', the past tense 'costed' is frequently used.

## Examples

- The cost of the ticket is ten dollars.
- We need to calculate the total cost of the materials before we start the renovation project.
- While the financial cost of the expansion was manageable, the human cost in terms of employee burnout proved far more significant than the board had anticipated.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.