cost

verb

cost; costing

intransitive verb

1

: to require expenditure or payment

The best goods cost more.

2

: to require effort, suffering, or loss

transitive verb

1

: to have a price of

Each ticket costs 25 dollars.

2

: to cause to pay, suffer, or lose something

Frequent absences cost him his job.

3

past costed ˈkȯ-stəd  : to estimate or set the cost of

—often used with out

The project has yet to be costed out.

Synonyms of cost

• fetch
• bring

Examples of cost in a Sentence

The trip will cost you about $100 each way.

The project will end up costing the government an estimated 3.5 billion dollars.

It will cost you a lot of money, but it'll be worth it.

His frequent absences ended up costing him his job.

The error cost me a reprimand, but nothing more serious than that.

a blunder that has cost her considerable embarrassment

Recent Examples on the Web

Phelan warns Paxton could cost Republicans the state Former Speaker Dade Phelan led the House during the Paxton impeachment. —Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 3 June 2026

The total project is expected to cost $101 million and to be completed in 2028. —Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 2 June 2026

Chicago’s politics keeps forcing a choice between them, and that false choice is costing us. —Desmon Yancy, Chicago Tribune, 2 June 2026

How much do season passes cost this summer? —Hali Smith june 2, Idaho Statesman, 2 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French custer, couster, from Latin constare to stand firm, cost — more at constant

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing cost

• at a cost
• at cost
• at cost price
• at no cost
• at the cost of
• cost accountant
• cost accounting
• cost an arm and a leg
• cost-benefit
• cost cutting
• cost-effective
• cost-efficient
• cost money
• cost of living
• cost-of-living index
• cost-plus
• cost-push
• cost (someone) dearly/dear
• count the cost
• dollar cost averaging
• indirect cost
• it'll cost (someone)
• not cost a dime/nickel
• not cost a penny
• opportunity cost
• prime cost
• to one's cost

Rhymes for cost

• bossed
• crossed
• dost
• glossed
• lost
• prost
• rost
• tossed
• accost
• crisscrossed
• defrost
• embossed

Kids Definition

cost

1 of 2 noun

ˈkȯst 

1

: the amount paid or charged for something : price

2

: the loss or penalty involved in achieving a goal

won the battle at the cost of many lives

3

plural : legal expenses given to the winning side against the losing side

fined $50 and costs

cost

2 of 2 verb

cost; costing

1

: to have a price of : require payment of

each ticket costs one dollar

2

: to cause one to pay, spend, or lose

mistakes cost him his job

Legal Definition

cost

noun

1

: the amount or equivalent paid or charged for something

2

plural : expenses incurred in litigation

especially : those given by the law or the court to the prevailing party against the losing party