- cost
- {{Roman}}I.{{/Roman}} noun1 money needed to buy sthADJECTIVE▪ considerable, high▪
The high cost of energy was a problem for consumers.
▪ enormous, exorbitant, huge, prohibitive▪The cost of repairs would be prohibitive.
▪ low, minimal▪ escalating, increasing, rising, soaring, spiralling/spiraling▪ basic▪ full, overall, total▪You will have to bear the full cost of the work.
▪ added, additional, extra▪She was unwilling to pay the extra cost to get a room to herself.
▪ associated▪ hidden▪ average▪A total of 3.6 million tickets at an average cost of $58 are available.
▪ gross, net▪ budgeted, estimated, projected▪ likely, potential▪ real, true▪ annual, monthly, etc.▪ replacement▪What is the current replacement cost of these assets?
▪ marginal (business)▪Competition will drive the price down near to the marginal cost (= the cost of the work and materials to produce the product).
▪ per-unit, unit (= the cost of producing one item) (business)▪ initial, upfront▪ capital, start-up (both business)▪The capital cost of these projects (= what it costs to set them up) is some $100 million.
▪ direct, indirectVERB + COST▪ carry (AmE), have▪The entire project carries a cost of $2 million.
▪ bear, cover, meet, pay▪Contractors can now be required to carry the cost of delays.
▪Allow €100 per day to cover the cost of meals.
▪Delegates receive allowances to meet the cost of travel.
▪ drive up, increase, push up▪Inflation is pushing up the cost of living.
▪ bring down, cut, decrease, drive down, lower, reduce, slash▪ keep down▪ estimate, put▪I would put the cost of a new employee at $80 000 a year.
▪ calculate, work out▪ afford▪ spread▪You can spread the cost of your loan repayment over 10 years.
▪ reimburse▪ offset▪ share, subsidizeCOST + VERB▪ escalate, go up, increase, rise, soar▪The cost of dental treatment is increasing.
▪ fall, go downCOST + NOUN▪ reduction, savings▪the pursuit of cost reduction
▪ increase▪ containment (AmE), control▪ overrun▪There were cost overruns on each project.
▪ estimate▪ advantage▪ structure▪ base▪It is essential that we operate with the lowest possible cost base and most efficient facilities.
▪ accountingPREPOSITION▪ at a cost of▪A new computer system has been installed at a cost of £80 000.
▪ cost to▪The cost to the government will be quite high.
PHRASES▪ an increase in cost, a reduction in cost▪ at great cost, at a great cost to sth▪The victory was achieved at great cost to the country's infrastrucure.
▪ at minimal cost, at a minimal cost to sth▪Now people can access the Internet at minimal cost.
▪ at no extra cost▪The hotel offers tea and coffee at no extra cost.
▪ the cost of living▪The cost of living has risen sharply in the last year.
▪ cost per day, unit, child, etc.▪the cost per day for an electrician
2 costs money needed to run a business, home, etc.ADJECTIVE▪ considerable, enormous, great, high, huge▪ low▪ escalating, increasing, rising, soaring, spiralling/spiraling▪We have had to raise our prices because of rising costs.
▪ administration, administrative, borrowing, construction, development, fuel, labour/labor, maintenance, manufacturing, production, research▪research and development costs
▪ operating, running▪ shipping, transport (esp. BrE), transportation (esp. AmE), travel▪ health-care, medical▪ fixed, variable (business)▪Fixed costs include rent.
▪ out-of-pocket▪ overheadVERB + COSTS▪ incur▪The corporation will pay all costs and expenses incurred.
▪ pay▪ increase▪ bring down, cut, lower, reduce▪The company has to find ways of cutting costs.
▪ control, keep down, minimize▪The use of cheap materials helped to keep costs down.
▪ cover▪We're hoping that we'll at least cover costs at the conference.
▪ recoup, recover▪ defrayCOSTS + VERB▪ be associated, be involved▪the costs associated with buying and selling property
▪ escalate, go up, increase, rise, soar▪The company's costs have risen over the last 5 years.
3 effort/loss/damage to achieve sthADJECTIVE▪ considerable, enormous, great, heavy, huge▪They advanced a few hundred yards, but at a heavy cost in life.
▪ dreadful, terrible▪the terrible cost of the war in death and suffering
▪ real, true▪ environmental, financial, human, personal, political, social▪the environmental cost of nuclear power
VERB + COST▪ outweigh▪Do the benefits outweigh the costs?
▪ suffer (esp. AmE)▪The country has suffered the enormous cost of trade sanctions.
▪ count▪The town is now counting the cost of its failure to provide adequate flood protection.
PREPOSITION▪ at cost (to), at a cost (to)▪He worked non-stop for three months, at considerable cost to his health.
▪The raid was foiled, but at a cost: an injured officer who was lucky to survive.
▪ at the cost of▪She saved him from the fire but at the cost of her own life.
▪ cost in▪I felt a need to please people, whatever the cost in time and energy.
PHRASES▪ costs and benefits▪the costs and benefits of this strategy
▪ at all costs, at any cost▪You must stop the press finding out at all costs.
▪ to your cost▪He's a ruthless businessman, as I know to my cost (= I know from my own bad experience).
4 costs in a court caseADJECTIVE▪ court (AmE), legal▪ administrativeVERB + COSTS▪ incur▪Both sides incurred costs of over $50 000.
▪ pay▪He was fined £200 and ordered to pay costs.
▪ be awarded▪{{Roman}}II.{{/Roman}}If you win your case you will normally be awarded costs.
verbADVERB▪ fully, properly▪The project has not been properly costed yet.
PREPOSITION▪ at▪The project was costed at €6 million.
Collocations dictionary. 2013.
