What does “cost” mean?
- 1
verbto have a particular price
How much does this jacket cost?
- 2
nounthe amount of money needed to buy or do something
The cost of living keeps rising.
Cost at a glance
- Part of speech
- verb & noun
- CEFR level
- A1 (beginner)
- Pronunciation
- /kɔst/ · KAWST
- Forms
- cost, cost
How to use “cost” correctly
The past form is the same: “It cost $10 yesterday.” Don’t say “costed”.
Common phrases with “cost”
- cost of living
- at all costs
- low-cost
- cost a fortune
Synonyms, opposites and related words
Synonyms (similar meaning)
- price
- expense
Word family
- costly
Idioms with “cost”
- Cost an arm and a leg: To be very expensive.
“cost” is on these word lists
Learn these words next
- price nounA1the amount of money you must pay to buy something
- add verbA1to put something together with something else
- buy verbA1to get something by paying money for it
- growth nounB1an increase in size, amount or importance
- loss nounB1the fact of no longer having something
- pay verbA1to give money for something you buy or for work done
- run verbA1to move fast on your feet
- sell verbA1to give something to someone in exchange for money