cost

¹ American  

[kawst, kost] / kɔst, kɒst /

noun

1. the price paid to acquire, produce, accomplish, or maintain anything.

   the high cost of a good meal.

   Synonyms:

   outlay, expenditure, expense, charge

2. an outlay or expenditure of money, time, labor, trouble, etc..

   What will the cost be to me?

3. a sacrifice, loss, or penalty.

   to work at the cost of one's health.

   Synonyms:

   detriment

4. Law. costs,

   1. money allowed to a successful party in a lawsuit in compensation for legal expenses incurred, chargeable to the unsuccessful party.

   2. money due to a court or one of its officers for services in a cause.

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verb (used with object)

cost, costed, costing

1. to require the payment of (money or something else of value) in an exchange.

   That camera cost $200.

2. to result in or entail the loss of.

   Carelessness costs lives.

3. to cause to lose or suffer.

   The accident cost her a broken leg.

4. to entail (effort or inconvenience).

   Courtesy costs little.

5. to cause to pay or sacrifice.

   That request will cost us two weeks' extra work.

6. to estimate or determine the cost of (manufactured articles, new processes, etc.).

   We have costed the manufacture of each item.

verb (used without object)

costed, cost, costing

1. to estimate or determine costs, as of manufacturing something.

verb phrase

1. cost out to calculate the cost of (a project, product, etc.) in advance.

   The firm that hired him just costed out a major construction project last month.

idioms

1. at all costs, regardless of the effort involved; by any means necessary: Also at any cost.

   The stolen painting must be recovered at all costs.

cost- ² American  

1. variant of costo- before a vowel.

   costate.

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cost British  

/ kɒst /

noun

1. the price paid or required for acquiring, producing, or maintaining something, usually measured in money, time, or energy; expense or expenditure; outlay

2. suffering or sacrifice; loss; penalty

   count the cost to your health

   I know to my cost

3. 1. the amount paid for a commodity by its seller

      to sell at cost

   2. ( as modifier )

      the cost price

4. (plural) law the expenses of judicial proceedings

5. regardless of cost or sacrifice involved

6. at the expense of losing

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verb

1. (tr) to be obtained or obtainable in exchange for (money or something equivalent); be priced at

   the ride cost one pound

2. to cause or require the expenditure, loss, or sacrifice (of)

   the accident cost him dearly

3. to estimate the cost of (a product, process, etc) for the purposes of pricing, budgeting, control, etc

cost More Idioms  

1. see arm and a leg, cost an; at all costs; pretty penny, cost a.

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Usage

What is a basic definition of cost? Cost means a price that must be paid for something or a sacrifice. Cost is used as a verb to mean to require a payment or to cause the loss of something. Cost has several other senses as a noun and a verb. Cost most often refers to a specific amount of money that a seller wants for the item they are selling. However, cost is also used more generally to mean whatever the price of an item is. If the price is high or expensive, it is said to be costly.

• Real-life examples: A pack of gum may have a cost of $1. The cost of a college education is usually very high. When a store is having a sale, it usually lowers the cost of the things it sells.
• Used in a sentence: The cost to repair the repair was unreasonably high. 

Cost is also a sacrifice, loss, or damage.

• Real-life examples: The cost of staying up all night is usually being tired the next day. The cost of eating too much is often a stomachache. The cost of driving too fast is often a speeding ticket and sometimes a car accident.
• Used in a sentence: The demon offered him endless riches at the cost of his soul. 

As a verb, cost means to require a payment in exchange for something, such as a service or a product. The payment can be money but also anything that has value.

• Real-life examples: Stores will use price tags to tell customers how much items cost. A hotel in Monopoly costs four houses and some extra money. A parent may tell their child that a piece of cake costs a hug.
• Used in a sentence: The new computer costs $800. 

Cost is also used to mean to result in the loss of something or to cause to suffer something.

• Real-life examples: Stress and a poor diet will cost a person their good health. Drunk driving will more than likely cost a person their driver’s license or worse. Succeeding at a job usually costs time and energy.
• Used in a sentence: His obsession with getting revenge cost him his job and his family.

What does cost- mean? Cost- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “rib.” It is used in some medical terms, especially in anatomy and pathology. Cost- comes from the Latin costa, meaning “rib, side.” The word costa was borrowed directly into English as a term for a “rib,” among other senses. The Latin costa is also the source of the word coast. Explore more at our entry for coast. Cost- is a variant of costo-, which loses its -o- when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use costo- article.

Related Words

See price.

Other Word Forms

• costless adjective
• costlessness noun
• recost verb (used with object)recost, recosting

Etymology

Origin of cost

First recorded in 1200–50; (verb) Middle English costen, from Anglo-French, Old French co(u)ster, from Latin constāre “to stand together, be settled, cost”; constant; (noun) Middle English, from Anglo-French, Old French, noun derivative of the verb

Explanation

The cost of something is how much money you need to spend on it. The high cost of a fancy coffee drink might surprise you. A new car costs thousands of dollars, while in some places penny candy still only costs a penny per piece. Cost also means "cause a loss," as when a bad fumble costs your favorite football team the game, or your brother's cheating on a test costs him the respect of his favorite teacher. The Old French cost meant "outlay, expenditure, hardship, or trouble," from the Latin root constare, "to stand at or to cost."

Example Sentences

Beijing spent years building the scaffolding for a petroyuan system at enormous diplomatic and financial cost.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

Ireland's government announced fresh tax cuts on petrol and diesel at an emergency cabinet meeting Sunday after fuel cost protests that had threatened the functioning of the country's emergency services.

From Barron's • Apr. 12, 2026

Plaid leader, Rhun ap Iorwerth, told BBC Wales after his party's manifesto launch that a national commission which would work on an independence White Paper would cost about £500,000.

From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026

A major debt restructuring, that gave a non-cash boost to the bottom line, and helped the company’s balance sheet, came at a huge cost to shareholders.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 12, 2026

It would have cost Mom over a thousand dollars to fly there, and that’s if she flew coach—something she hates.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller

Related Words

• amount
• charge
• damage
• expenditure
• figure
• outlay
• payment
• price
• price tag
• rate
• tariff
• value
• worth