noun/verb · neutral

cost

UK/kɒst/US/kɔːst/COST

Band 4-5task2speaking

the amount of money needed to buy, make, or do something; the expense

Examples

The cost of living has increased.

How much will it cost to repair the car?

They underestimated the cost of the project.

Band 8 sentence

The unexpected rise in raw-material costs forced the company to revise its budget.

Collocations

  • cost of living
  • at the cost of
  • production costs

Word family

cost nounto cost verbcostly adjective

Common mistakes

It cost me to buy this phone.It cost me a lot to buy this phone.

The project is expensive cost.The project is expensive.

Say it for a higher band

5pay6money7+cost

Synonyms

expense

Easily confused

price

The cost of producing the book was higher than its selling price.

expense

Business travel expenses can be claimed back.

Related words

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In Shopping & Money

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