Online OXFORD Collocation Dictionary

cost noun

¹ money needed to buy sth

ADJ. considerable, enormous, great, high, huge, prohibitive The high cost of energy was a problem for consumers. The cost of repairs would be prohibitive. | low | escalating, rising | basic | full, overall, total You will have to bear the full cost of the building work. | additional, extra She was unwilling to pay the extra cost to get a room to herself. | average A total of 3.6 million tickets at an average cost of $58 are available for the Games. | gross, net | estimated | budgeted | likely, potential | real | annual, monthly, etc. | replacement What is the current replacement cost of these assets? | capital, start-up (business) The capital cost of these projects (= what it costs to set them up) is some $100 million?then there'll be the operating costs. | marginal (business) Competition will drive the price down near to the marginal cost (= the cost of the labour and materials to produce the product). | unit (business) (= the cost of producing one item) | fixed, variable (business) Fixed costs include rent. | direct, indirect

VERB + COST bear, cover, meet, pay Allow £15 per day to cover the cost of meals. MPs receive allowances to meet the cost of travel. | increase, push up Inflation is pushing up the cost of living beyond our reach. | bring down, cut, lower, reduce | keep down | estimate, put I would put the cost of a new employee at £30,000 a year. | calculate, work out | reimburse

COST + VERB escalate, go up, increase, rise The cost of dental treatment is increasing. | fall, go down

COST + NOUN reduction, savings the pursuit of cost reduction | overrun There were cost overruns on each project. | base It is essential that we operate with the lowest possible cost base and most efficient facilities.

PREP. at a ~ of A new computer system has been installed at a cost of £80,000. | ~ to The cost to the government will be quite high.

PHRASES an increase/a reduction in cost, at no extra cost The hotel offers tea and coffee at no extra cost. | cost of living The cost of living has risen sharply in the last year.

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

ADJ. considerable, enormous, great, high, huge | low | escalating, rising We have had to raise our prices because of rising costs. | administration/administrative, fuel, labour, operating, production, (research and) development, running, transport, travel

VERB + COST incur The corporation will pay all costs and expenses incurred with its written consent. | pay | increase | bring down, cut, lower, reduce The company has to find ways of cutting costs. | keep down The use of cheap labour helped to keep costs down. | cover We're hoping that we'll at least cover costs at the conference.

COST + VERB be associated, be involved the costs associated with buying and selling property | escalate, rise

³ effort/loss/damage to achieve sth

ADJ. considerable, enormous, great, heavy, huge They advanced a few hundred metres, but at a heavy cost in life. | dreadful, terrible the terrible cost of the war in death and suffering | real | environmental, financial, human, personal, political, social the environmental cost of nuclear power

VERB + COST outweigh Do the benefits outweigh the costs? | count The town is now counting the cost of its failure to provide adequate flood protection.

PREP. at (a) ~ (to) The raid was foiled, but at a cost: an injured officer who was lucky to escape with his life. He worked non-stop for three months, at considerable cost to his health. | at the ~ of She saved him from the fire but at the cost of her own life. | ~ in I felt a need to please people, whatever the cost in time and energy.

PHRASES at all costs/at any cost You must stop the press finding out at all costs (= whatever it takes to achieve this). | to your cost He's a ruthless businessman, as I know to my cost (= I know from my own bad experience).

⁴ costs: in a court case

ADJ. legal

VERB + COST incur Both sides incurred costs of over £50,000. | pay He was fined £200 and ordered to pay costs. | be awarded If you win your case you will normally be awarded costs.

cost verb

ADV. fully, properly The project has not been properly costed yet.

PREP. at The programme was costed at £6 million.