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to cost

to cost

611 3.0
To make someone lose something important as a result
  • verb
  • /kɔst/
translation icon : costar
  • There is no doubt that these mistakes cost many thousands of lives.
  • cost him his job
  • cost him dearly
  • cost lives

And, and maybe the first one you build might cost you some unhappiness.

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Examples

  • But I probably just cost my sister her job.

  • I'll fight and if it cost me everything, fine.

  • - It definitely cost England the match.

  • Firing her would cost us a fortune.

  • -This trip is costing me a fortune.

  • The slightest mistake could cost a person her life in the camp.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • Dennis yelled at Ivy, telling her that she had cost them ten thousand dollars.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • And it's under these conditions that you're gonna be forced to make split-second decisions that could cost you your life.

  • Even a one-day delay in shipment may cost the companies the profit of the entire cargo.

    Academic text (1990)
  • Making poor decisions can cost you many opportunities in life.

Antonyms

1.4

To get something useful, often by effort, like money or skills

676 2.3

To help someone or be helped by something

Idioms

23 4.1

Willing to do anything to get something, even if it is dangerous or expensive

To be very expensive

Compounds

42 2.0

Cheap to buy and easy to afford

The money needed to pay for basic things like food and housing

14 3.0

Steps a company takes to spend less money

production cost
  • Specialized
13 3.1

Money a company spends on materials and work to make goods

operating cost
  • Specialized
12 3.5

Money spent to run and maintain a business or building, like utilities and insurance

cost-benefit analysis
  • Specialized
11 3.9

A careful comparison of costs and benefits to decide if benefits outweigh costs

average cost
  • Specialized
11 2.7

Total money spent on all units divided by the number of units

opportunity cost
  • Specialized
8 5.6

What you give up when you choose one thing instead of another

cost overrun
  • Specialized
7 5.1

The extra money a project spends compared with its planned budget

cost of capital
  • Specialized
5 7.2

The minimum return a business needs on an investment to keep its market value and attract money

borrowing cost
  • Specialized
4 3.1

Money you pay in interest and fees to use money from a bank or another person

capital cost
  • Specialized
4 3.6

Money spent to buy things like machines or buildings for a business

fixed cost
  • Specialized
4 3.7

A regular business cost that does not change when production changes, like rent and insurance

marginal cost
  • Specialized
4 4.8

The extra cost to make one more item

A rise in how much you must pay to buy or make something

transaction cost
  • Specialized
3 4.1

Money you spend when you buy or sell something, for example finding information and making agreements

The money a company spends on advertising, distribution, and selling products

cost analysis
  • Specialized
2 3.7

A careful study of the separate costs of a project to find savings

direct cost
  • Specialized
2 3.4

A cost you can put on a single project, like materials or wages

replacement cost
  • Specialized
2 4.0

How much you pay now to buy a new item that does the same job as the old one

unit cost
  • Specialized
2 3.3

The amount of money needed to make, store, and sell one item

distribution cost
  • Specialized
2 4.2

Money companies pay to deliver goods to customers, like shipping and advertising

incremental cost
  • Specialized
1 4.9

The extra or less money needed to make one more product

cost-plus
  • Specialized
1 6.6

A contract that pays actual costs plus an agreed extra fee

carrying cost
  • Specialized
1 6.4

Money you pay to keep something, for example storage, repairs, insurance, and lost income

cost accounting
  • Specialized
1 5.1

A way for a company to record and study how much money it spends to make and sell products

cost accountant
  • Specialized
1 4.9

A person who records and controls costs of making goods or services

cost-of-living index
  • Specialized
1 3.5

A number showing how much money a typical household needs for basic goods and services

cost-plus contract
  • Specialized
1 6.7

A contract that pays a contractor for all costs plus an agreed fee or percentage

1 4.1

Extra pay for employees to help with higher living costs

capital cost
  • Specialized
6.6

How much a business pays to use money for investment

cost ledger
  • Specialized
5.6

A book or record showing a company's costs by type

cost of quality
  • Specialized
4.9

The total money a company spends to make sure products are good and to fix problems when they are not

5.2

A study of the costs of making a product to see how they affect profit

cost-pull inflation
  • Specialized
7.0

A rise in general prices caused by higher production costs like wages and raw materials

3.7

A payment that automatically increases when prices rise to help people afford things

differential cost
  • Specialized
6.9

The change in total cost when you produce one more or one less item

appraisal cost
  • Specialized
5.3

Money spent to check that products or services meet quality standards

bargaining cost
  • Specialized
4.8

Money and time spent to reach an agreement, such as talking and preparing a contract

external failure cost
  • Specialized
6.5

Money a company loses when faulty products reach customers, for example from returns or repairs

failure cost
  • Specialized
5.7

Money a company loses when faulty products or services cause problems for customers and the company

An amount of money that a seller charges to prepare and pack an order for delivery

internal failure cost
  • Specialized
5.9

Costs a company pays when it finds and fixes or throws away defective products before they reach customers

quality cost
  • Specialized
6.3

Total money a company spends to make products or services work well and fix problems

reproduction cost
  • Specialized
6.9

Money needed to make an exact copy of a building or item after reducing for loss in value

Money spent to check that people follow a contract and to act if they break it

prevention cost
  • Specialized
4.2

Money spent to stop problems in a product or process before they happen

3.9

Money you pay to process a transfer on a digital money network, often higher when the network is busy

A very high price that is far above normal

How Costly

to ruin
2.0
to damage
885 1.4
to cost
611 3.0
to harm
738 1.0
to set back
37 4.2

Surface Forms

cost infinitive
cost past
cost past participle
costing present participle
costs third person singular

Etymology

Cost (to cause loss) is an extension of the price idea: if something 'costs' you something, you have to 'pay' for it in another way. That's why saying an action cost someone their job or life means it took that thing away like a heavy 'price'.