cost someone dear Definition

cost
verb cost (past tense, past participle in senses 1, 2 and 4), costing (present participle in all senses)

1. To be obtainable at a certain price.
tr & intr
2. To involve the loss or sacrifice of someone or something.
costed
3. To estimate or decide the cost of something.
tr & intr
4. colloq
To put someone to some expense.
Example: He would send his daughter to university, whatever it cost him

noun

1. What something costs; the price paid or required to be paid.

Thesaurus: price, expense, expenditure, outlay, payment, disbursement, figure, charge, amount, value, worth.
2. Loss or sacrifice.

Example: The war was won but the cost of human life was great
Thesaurus: loss, penalty, harm, damage, sacrifice, hurt, detriment, deprivation.
3. law.
The expenses of a case, generally paid by the unsuccessful party.
Form: costs

Idiom: at all costs

No matter what the risk or effort may be.

Idiom: cost someone dear

To prove costly to them.

Idiom: count the cost

To consider all the risks before taking action.

To realize the bad effects of something done.

Idiom: to one's cost

With some loss or disadvantage.

Etymology: 13c: from Latin constare to stand firm or cost.

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dear
adj

1. High in price; charging high prices.

Thesaurus: expensive, costly, high-priced, overpriced, pricey; Antonym: cheap.
2. Lovable; attractive.

Thesaurus: beloved, loved, precious, favourite, cherished, darling, treasured, familiar.
3. Used in addressing someone at the start of a letter.
4. Greatly loved by, or very important or precious to, them.

Form: dear to someone (usually)

noun dearies

1. A charming or lovable person.
2. Used especially as a form of address: a person one loves or likes.

exclamation

1. Used as an expression of dismay, etc

Example: Dear, dear!
Example: Dear me!
Form: deary (also)
Form: dearie

Derivative: dearly

Very much.
Thesaurus: very, greatly, extremely, profoundly.

At a high price or cost.

Derivative: dearness
noun

Idiom: cost someone dear

To cause or result in a lot of trouble or suffering.

Idiom: dear knows

colloq
No one knows.

Idiom: pay dearly

To be made to suffer.

Etymology: Anglo-Saxon deore.