2cost verb
costs; cost; cost·ing [+ obj] 1 a : to have (an amount of money) as a price ◊If something costs a certain amount of money, you have to pay that amount of money in order to buy it, use it, or do it.
▪ Each ticket costs one dollar. ▪ How much does it cost? = What does it cost? ▪ This house costs more/less than most of the other houses in the area. ▪ It costs more than $300,000. ▪ (informal) New equipment costs money. [=is expensive] ▪ (informal) I want a new car that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. [=that is not too expensive]
b : to cause (someone) to pay an amount of money
▪ 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. ▪ (informal) I can get the part you need, but it'll cost you. [=you will have to pay a lot of money for it] ◊If something does not cost (you) a penny or (US) cost (you) a dime/nickel, you do not need to pay any money for it; it is free.
▪ Come to my party. It won't cost a dime. = It won't cost you a penny. 2 a : to cause (someone) to lose something
▪ Her mistakes cost them the game. [=they lost the game because of her mistakes] ▪ The decision to drive that night nearly cost him his life. [=he almost died because of it] ▪ His frequent absences ended up costing him his job. ◊If something costs you dearly/dear, it causes you to lose something or to suffer a lot.
▪ Changing your mind now could cost you dearly.
b : to cause (someone) to experience something unpleasant
▪ The error cost me a reprimand, but nothing more serious than that. ▪ a blunder that has cost her considerable embarrassment 3 past tense costed Brit, business : to determine how much money will be needed to pay for (something) — usually used as (be) costed ▪ The project was originally costed at 3 million pounds. — often + out ▪ The project has yet to be costed out. — see also costing
▪ Each ticket costs one dollar. ▪ How much does it cost? = What does it cost? ▪ This house costs more/less than most of the other houses in the area. ▪ It costs more than $300,000. ▪ (informal) New equipment costs money. [=is expensive] ▪ (informal) I want a new car that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. [=that is not too expensive]
b : to cause (someone) to pay an amount of money
▪ 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. ▪ (informal) I can get the part you need, but it'll cost you. [=you will have to pay a lot of money for it] ◊If something does not cost (you) a penny or (US) cost (you) a dime/nickel, you do not need to pay any money for it; it is free.
▪ Come to my party. It won't cost a dime. = It won't cost you a penny.
▪ Her mistakes cost them the game. [=they lost the game because of her mistakes] ▪ The decision to drive that night nearly cost him his life. [=he almost died because of it] ▪ His frequent absences ended up costing him his job. ◊If something costs you dearly/dear, it causes you to lose something or to suffer a lot.
▪ Changing your mind now could cost you dearly.
b : to cause (someone) to experience something unpleasant
▪ The error cost me a reprimand, but nothing more serious than that. ▪ a blunder that has cost her considerable embarrassment
