verb
cost
kost
verb
1
To require the payment of a certain amount of money.
"The repairs ended up costing far more than expected."
"How much does a ticket to the concert cost?"
2
To cause someone to lose something.
"That one mistake cost him his job."
noun
1
The amount of money, time, or effort needed to get or do something.
"The cost of living has risen sharply in the city center."
2
A loss or negative result suffered in order to achieve something.
"They won the game, but at the cost of their star player's injury."
How to Use Cost
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishWhat you have to pay, lose, or give up to get or do something.
Common pairings
at all costs
cost of living
cost someone dearly
Word Forms
cost past tense, costed past tense, costs plural, costs plural, costs plural, Costs plural, costs singular
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Etymology
From Old French coster/couster, from Latin constare, "to stand together" or "to be settled at a price."