Tra từ cost - Từ điển Oxford Advanced Learner 8th

cost [cost costs costing] noun, verb BrE [kɒst] NAmE [kɔːst]
noun
1. countable, uncountable the amount of money that you need in order to buy, make or do sth
•the high/low cost of housing
• A new computer system has been installed at a cost of £80 000.
• The plan had to be abandoned on grounds of cost.
•We did not even make enough money to cover the cost of the food.
•Consumers will have to bear the full cost of these pay increases.
•The total cost to you (= the amount you have to pay) is £3 000.
2. costsplural the total amount of money that needs to be spent by a business
• The use of cheap labour helped to keep costs down.
•to cut/reduce costs
•running/operating/labour costs
• We have had to raise our prices because of rising costs.
•Opinion was divided on the potential costs and benefits of the scheme.
3. uncountable, singular the effort, loss or damage that is involved in order to do or achieve sth
•the terrible cost of the war in death and suffering
•the environmental cost of nuclear power
• She saved him from the fire but at the cost of her own life (= she died).
• He worked non-stop for three months, at considerable cost to his health.
•I felt a need to please people, whatever the cost in time and energy.
4. costs (NAmE also ˈcourt costs)plural the sum of money that sb is ordered to pay for lawyers, etc. in a legal case
•He was ordered to pay £2 000 costs.
more at count the cost at ↑count _v.

Word Origin:
Middle English: from Old French coust (noun), couster (verb), based on Latin constare ‘stand firm, stand at a price’.

Thesaurus:
cost noun
1. C, U
•The roof had to be repaired at a cost of £7 000.
price • • value • • expense • • rate • • charge • • worth •
the high cost/price/value/rate/charge
the real/true cost/price/value/rate/worth
increase/reduce the cost/price/value/rexpense/rate/charge
Cost, price or value? The price is what sb asks you to pay for an item or service:
•to ask/charge a high price
✗ to ask/charge a high cost/value Obtaining sth may have a cost; the value of sth is how much money people would pay for it:
•house prices
• the cost of moving house
• The house now has a market value of twice what we paid for it.
2. costs pl.
•They use cheap labour to keep their costs down.
expenses • • spending • • expenditure • • outlay • |especially BrE overheads • |especially AmE overhead •
government/public/education/health/defence/military/household costs/expenses/spending/expenditure
increase/reduce costs/expenses/spending/expenditure/outlay/overheads/overhead
control/cover/cut costs/expenses/spending/expenditure/overheads/overhead

Collocations:
Business
Running a business
buy/acquire/own/sell a company/firm/franchise
set up/establish/ start/start up/launch a business/company
run/operate a business/company/franchise
head/run a firm/department/team
make/secure/win/block a deal
expand/grow/build the business
boost/increase investment/spending/sales/turnover/earnings/exports/trade
increase/expand production/output/sales
boost/maximize production/productivity/efficiency/income/revenue/profit/profitability
achieve/maintain/sustain growth/profitability
cut/reduce/bring down/lower/slash costs/prices
announce/impose/make cuts/cutbacks
Sales and marketing
break into/enter/capture/dominate the market
gain/grab/take/win/boost/lose market share
find/build/create a market for sth
start/launch an advertising/a marketing campaign
develop/launch/promote a product/website
create/generate demand for your product
attract/get/retain/help customers/clients
drive/generate/boost/increase demand/sales
beat/keep ahead of/out-think/outperform the competition
meet/reach/exceed/miss sales targets
Finance
draw up/set/present/agree/approve a budget
keep to/balance/cut/reduce/slash the budget
be/come in below/under/over/within budget
generate income/revenue/profit/funds/business
fund/finance a campaign/a venture/an expansion/spending/a deficit
provide/raise/allocate capital/funds
attract/encourage investment/investors
recover/recoup costs/losses/an investment
get/obtain/offer sb/grant sb credit/a loan
apply for/raise/secure/arrange/provide finance
Failure
lose business/trade/customers/sales/revenue
accumulate/accrue/incur/run up debts
suffer/sustain enormous/heavy/serious losses
face cuts/a deficit/redundancy/bankruptcy
file for/ (NAmE) enter/avoid/escape bankruptcy
(BrE) go into administration/liquidation
liquidate/wind up a company
survive/weather a recession/downturn
propose/seek/block/oppose a merger
launch/make/accept/defeat a takeover bid

Synonyms:
costs
spending • expenditure • expenses • overheads • outlay
These are all words for money spent by a government, an organization or a person.
costs • the total amount of money that needs to be spent by a business: ▪ labour/production costs ◇ ▪ rising costs
spending • the amount of money that is spent, especially by a government or an organization: ▪ public spending ◇ ▪ More spending on health was promised.
expenditure • (rather formal) an amount of money spent by a government, an organization or a person: ▪ expenditure on education
expenses • money that has to be spent by a person or an organization; money that you spend while you are working which your employer will pay back to you later: ▪ legal expenses ◇ ▪ travel expenses
overhead(s) • the regular costs of running a business or organization, such as rent, electricity and wages: ▪ High overheads mean small profit margins.
outlay • the money that you have to spend in order to start a new business or project, or in order to save yourself money or time later: ▪ The best equipment is costly but is well worth the outlay.
spending/expenditure/outlay on sth
high/low costs/spending/expenditure/expenses/overheads
total costs/spending/expenditure/expenses/overheads/outlay
capital costs/spending/expenditure/expenses/outlay
household costs/spending/expenditure/expenses
government/public/education/health costs/spending/expenditure
to increase/reduce costs/spending/expenditure/expenses/overheads/the outlay

Synonyms:
price
cost • value • expense • worth
These words all refer to the amount of money that you have to pay for sth.
price • the amount of money that you have to pay for an item or service: ▪ house prices ◇ ▪ How much are these? They don't have a price on them. ◇ ▪ I can't afford it ▪ at that price ▪.
cost • the amount of money that you need in order to buy, make or do sth: ▪ A new computer system has been installed at a cost of £80 000.
value • how much sth is worth in money or other goods for which it can be exchanged: ▪ The winner will receive a prize ▪ to the value of ▪ £1 000.
Especially in British English, value can also mean how much sth is worth compared with its price: ▪ This restaurant is excellent value ▪ (= is worth the money it costs) ▪.
price, cost or value?
The price is what sb asks you to pay for an item or service: ▪ to ask/charge a high price ◇ to ask/charge a high cost/value. Obtaining or achieving sth may have a cost; the value of sth is how much other people would be willing to pay for it: ▪ house prices ◇ ▪ the cost of moving house ◇ ▪ The house now has a market value of one million pounds.
expense • the money that you spend on sth; sth that makes you spend money: ▪ The garden was transformed ▪ at great expense ▪. ◇ ▪ Running a car is a big expense.
worth • the financial value of sb/sth: ▪ He has a personal net worth of $10 million.
Worth is more often used to mean the practical or moral value of sth.
the high price/cost/value
the real/true price/cost/value/worth
to put/set a price/value on sth
to increase/reduce the price/cost/value/expense
to raise/double/lower the price/cost/value
to cut the price/cost

Example Bank:
•A total of 3.6 million tickets at an average cost of $58 are available for the Games.
•Allow €100 per day to cover the cost of meals.
•Both sides incurred costs of over $50 000.
•Competition will drive the price down near to the marginal cost.
•Contractors can now be required to carry the cost of delays.
•Delegates receive allowances to meet the cost of travel.
•Do the benefits outweigh the costs?
•Fixed costs include rent.
•He was fined £200 and ordered to pay costs.
•I would put the cost of a new employee at $80 000 a year.
•If you win your case you will normally be awarded costs.
•Inflation is pushing up the cost of living beyond our reach.
•It is essential that we operate with the lowest possible cost base and most efficient facilities.
•Now people can access the Internet at minimal cost.
•She saved him from the fire but at the cost of her own life.
•She was unwilling to pay the extra cost to get a room to herself.
•The capital cost of these projects is some $100 million— then there'll be the operating costs.
•The company has to find ways of cutting costs.
•The company's costs have risen over the last 5 years.
•The corporation will pay all costs and expenses incurred with its written consent.
•The cost of dental treatment is increasing.
•The cost of living has risen sharply in the last year.
•The cost of repairs would be prohibitive.
•The cost to the government will be quite high.
•The country has suffered the enormous cost of trade sanctions.
•The entire project carries a cost of $2 million.
•The high cost of energy was a problem for consumers.
•The hotel offers tea and coffee at no extra cost.
•The raid was foiled, but at a cost: an injured officer who was lucky to escape with his life.
•The raid was foiled, but at a cost: an injured officer who was lucky to survive.
•The town is now counting the cost of its failure to provide adequate flood protection.
•The victory was achieved at great cost to the country's infrastrucure.
•There were cost overruns on each project.
•They advanced a few hundred metres, but at a heavy cost in life.
•We're hoping that we'll at least cover costs at the conference.
•What is the current replacement cost of these assets?
•You can spread the cost of your loan repayment over 10 years.
•You must stop the press finding out at all costs.
•You will have to bear the full cost of the building work.
•research and development costs
•the cost per day for an electrician
•the costs and benefits of this strategy
•the costs associated with buying and selling property
•the pursuit of cost reduction
•The total cost to you is £3 000.
•The true cost of running a car is much greater than just the price of the petrol you use.
•sharp rises in the cost of living
Idioms: ↑at all cost ▪ ↑at any cost ▪ ↑at cost ▪ ↑cost somebody dear ▪ ↑it will cost you ▪ ↑know something to your cost

verb (cost, cost) In sense 4 costed is used for the past tense and past participle.
1. if sth costs a particular amount of money, you need to pay that amount in order to buy, make or do it
•~ sth How much did it cost?
• I didn't get it because it cost too much.
•Tickets cost ten dollars each.
•Calls to the helpline cost 38p per minute.
•Don't use too much of it— it cost a lot of money.
•All these reforms will cost money (= be expensive).
•Good food need not cost a fortune (= cost a lot of money).
•~ sb sth The meal cost us about £40.
•This is costing the taxpayer £10 billion a year.
•~ sth to do sth The hospital will cost an estimated £2 million to build.
•It costs a fortune to fly first class.
2. to cause the loss of sth
•~ sb sth That one mistake almost cost him his life.
• A late penalty cost United the game (= meant that they did not win the game).
•Such behaviour could cost you your place in the team.
•~ sth The closure of the factory is likely to cost 1 000 jobs.
3. ~ sb sth to involve you in making an effort or doing sth unpleasant
•The accident cost me a visit to the doctor.
•Financial worries cost her many sleepless nights.
•She would never know how much it cost him to tell her.
4. (costed, costed)usually passive to estimate how much money will be needed for sth or the price that should be charged for sth
•~ sth The project needs to be costed in detail.
•Their accountants have costed the project at $8.1 million.
•fully costed proposals
•~ sth out Have you costed out these proposals yet?
see also ↑costing
more at cost/pay an arm and a leg at ↑arm _n.
Verb forms:

Word Origin:
Middle English: from Old French coust (noun), couster (verb), based on Latin constare ‘stand firm, stand at a price’.

Thesaurus:
cost verb T
•Calls cost 40p per minute.
be • • sell • • go • |informal set sb back • |business retail • • trade •
How much does this cost/is this?
That costs/will set you back a lot of money.
sth sells/retails/trades at £9.95
sth sells/goes/retails for £9.95

Example Bank:
•All these reforms will cost money.
•Good food need not cost a fortune.
•I didn't get it because it cost too much.

See also: ↑court costs