COST


Meaning of COST in English

I.

noun

1 money needed to buy sth

ADJECTIVE

▪ considerable , high

The high ~ of energy was a problem for consumers.

▪ enormous , exorbitant , huge , prohibitive

The ~ of repairs would be prohibitive.

▪ low , minimal

▪ escalating , increasing , rising , soaring , spiralling/spiraling

▪ basic

▪ full , overall , total

You will have to bear the full ~ of the work.

▪ added , additional , extra

She was unwilling to pay the extra ~ to get a room to herself.

▪ associated

▪ hidden

▪ average

A total of 3.6 million tickets at an average ~ of $58 are available.

▪ gross , net

▪ budgeted , estimated , projected

▪ likely , potential

▪ real , true

▪ annual , monthly , etc.

▪ replacement

What is the current replacement ~ of these assets?

▪ marginal ( business )

Competition will drive the price down near to the marginal ~ ( = the cost of the work and materials to produce the product ).

▪ per-unit , unit (= the cost of producing one item) ( business )

▪ initial , upfront

▪ capital , start-up ( both business )

The capital ~ of these projects ( = what it costs to set them up ) is some $100 million.

▪ direct , indirect

VERB + COST

▪ carry ( AmE ), have

The entire project carries a ~ of $2 million.

▪ bear , cover , meet , pay

Contractors can now be required to carry the ~ of delays.

Allow €100 per day to cover the ~ of meals.

Delegates receive allowances to meet the ~ of travel.

▪ drive up , increase , push up

Inflation is pushing up the ~ of living.

▪ bring down , cut , decrease , drive down , lower , reduce , slash

▪ keep down

▪ estimate , put

I would put the ~ of a new employee at $80 000 a year.

▪ calculate , work out

▪ afford

▪ spread

You can spread the ~ of your loan repayment over 10 years.

▪ reimburse

▪ offset

▪ share , subsidize

COST + VERB

▪ escalate , go up , increase , rise , soar

The ~ of dental treatment is increasing.

▪ fall , go down

COST + NOUN

▪ reduction , savings

the pursuit of ~ reduction

▪ increase

▪ containment ( AmE ), control

▪ overrun

There were ~ overruns on each project.

▪ estimate

▪ advantage

▪ structure

▪ base

It is essential that we operate with the lowest possible ~ base and most efficient facilities.

▪ accounting

PREPOSITION

▪ at a ~ of

A new computer system has been installed at a ~ of £80 000.

▪ ~ to

The ~ to the government will be quite high.

PHRASES

▪ an increase in ~ , a reduction in ~

▪ at great ~ , at a great ~ to sth

The victory was achieved at great ~ to the country's infrastrucure.

▪ at minimal ~ , at a minimal ~ to sth

Now people can access the Internet at minimal ~.

▪ at no extra ~

The hotel offers tea and coffee at no extra ~.

▪ the ~ of living

The ~ of living has risen sharply in the last year.

▪ ~ per day, unit, child, etc.

the ~ per day for an electrician

2 costs money needed to run a business, home, etc.

ADJECTIVE

▪ considerable , enormous , great , high , huge

▪ low

▪ escalating , increasing , rising , soaring , spiralling/spiraling

We have had to raise our prices because of rising ~s.

▪ administration , administrative , borrowing , construction , development , fuel , labour/labor , maintenance , manufacturing , production , research

research and development ~s

▪ operating , running

▪ shipping , transport ( esp. BrE ), transportation ( esp. AmE ), travel

▪ health-care , medical

▪ fixed , variable ( business )

Fixed ~s include rent.

▪ out-of-pocket

▪ overhead

VERB + COSTS

▪ incur

The corporation will pay all ~s and expenses incurred.

▪ pay

▪ increase

▪ bring down , cut , lower , reduce

The company has to find ways of cutting ~s.

▪ control , keep down , minimize

The use of cheap materials helped to keep ~s down.

▪ cover

We're hoping that we'll at least cover ~s at the conference.

▪ recoup , recover

▪ defray

COSTS + VERB

▪ be associated , be involved

the ~s associated with buying and selling property

▪ escalate , go up , increase , rise , soar

The company's ~s have risen over the last 5 years.

3 effort/loss/damage to achieve sth

ADJECTIVE

▪ considerable , enormous , great , heavy , huge

They advanced a few hundred yards, but at a heavy ~ in life.

▪ dreadful , terrible

the terrible ~ of the war in death and suffering

▪ real , true

▪ environmental , financial , human , personal , political , social

the environmental ~ of nuclear power

VERB + COST

▪ outweigh

Do the benefits outweigh the ~s?

▪ suffer ( esp. AmE )

The country has suffered the enormous ~ of trade sanctions.

▪ count

The town is now counting the ~ of its failure to provide adequate flood protection.

PREPOSITION

▪ at ~ (to) , at a ~ (to)

He worked non-stop for three months, at considerable ~ to his health.

The raid was foiled, but at a ~: an injured officer who was lucky to survive.

▪ at the ~ of

She saved him from the fire but at the ~ of her own life.

▪ ~ in

I felt a need to please people, whatever the ~ in time and energy.

PHRASES

▪ ~s and benefits

the ~s and benefits of this strategy

▪ at all ~s , at any ~

You must stop the press finding out at all ~s.

▪ to your ~

He's a ruthless businessman, as I know to my ~ (= I know from my own bad experience) .

4 costs in a court case

ADJECTIVE

▪ court ( AmE ), legal

▪ administrative

VERB + COSTS

▪ incur

Both sides incurred ~s of over $50 000.

▪ pay

He was fined £200 and ordered to pay ~s.

▪ be awarded

If you win your case you will normally be awarded ~s.

II.

verb

ADVERB

▪ fully , properly

The project has not been properly ~ed yet.

PREPOSITION

▪ at

The project was ~ed at €6 million.

Cost is used with these nouns as the subject: ↑ fare , ↑ premium , ↑ repair , ↑ ticket , ↑ warranty , ↑ work

Cost is used with these nouns as the object: ↑ fortune , ↑ freedom , ↑ life , ↑ money , ↑ sum

Oxford Collocations English Dictionary.      Оксфордский английский словарь словосочетаний .