What’s the past tense of “cost”?
How much does it cost? Or, to refer to the past, how much did it cost you? The topic is: how do you refer to cost in the past tense? Read this post to find out—it won’t cost you much—at least we hope.
The expensive repair cost a fortune.
All potential project expenses were carefully costed by the finance department.
My new laptop costs me a lot of money last month.
Every year, the office supplies costed us more than necessary.
Present, past, future of “cost”
| Present | Past | Future | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple | It costs | It cost / costed | It will cost |
| Continuous | I am costing | I was costing | I will be costing |
| Perfect | I have cost / costed | I had cost / costed | I will have cost / costed |
| Perfect Continuous | I have been costing | I had been costing | I will have been costing |
The past participle form of cost uses the auxiliary had or have in the past perfect and present perfect tenses, respectively. When had is used in the same sentence as a past participle verb form (e.g., cost, shut, hurt) this pairing forms the past perfect tense in grammar.
Cost in the present tense (in sentences)
| Examples |
|---|
| Could you add the cost to my room bill?
It costs an awful lot of money. This shirt costs 25 dollars. Can you give me the approximate cost of the repair? The repair should cost approximately $80. |
Cost in the past tense (in sentences)
| Examples |
|---|
| It cost me a lot of money.
The actual cost was higher than expected. We shared the cost of the meal. Her estimate of the cost was completely wrong. My jacket only cost ten dollars. |
Simple past ‘cost’ is like ‘cut’ or ‘put’; no -ed. ‘Costed’ is usually a past participle for calculated amounts.
Cost as a past participle examples (in sentences)
| Examples |
|---|
| The cost of flying overseas has risen with the cost of fuel.
I didn’t tell my wife how much it had cost. It has cost me $1000 altogether. This computer has cost me 5000 Dollars. The trip had cost us over $10K altogether. |
Synonyms of cost
- price
- value
- charge
- fee
- toll
- amount
Phrases with cost
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| to cost a king’s ransom | To cost an exorbitant amount. |
| cost an arm and a leg | Extremely expensive. |
| at any cost / at all costs | No matter the risk or expense. |
| civility/courtesy costs nothing | Basic respect is free. |
| count the cost | To consider the consequences. |
| it will cost you | It won’t be free/of no consequence. |
| to your cost | To one’s detriment or expense. |
| and hang the cost | To ignore the price. |
| cost a bomb | Very expensive. |
Origin of the verb cost
“Be the price of,” also, in a general way, “require expenditure of a specified time or labor, or at the expense of (pain, loss, etc.),” late 14c., from Old French coster (Modern French coûter) “to cost,” from cost.
Worksheet: “Cost” conjugations
The repairs ______ a lot last year.
How much has the trip ______ so far?
If you ______ the project properly, you’ll see it’s expensive.
The mistake ______ the company thousands of dollars.
It has ______ me a lot of time and effort.
FAQs
What is the past tense of cost?
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When is ‘costed’ used?
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Which past form is more common?
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Can costs refer to the past?
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Use costed for ‘Every year’?
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Sources
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Harper, Douglas. “Etymology of cost.” Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/cost. Accessed 27 January, 2023.
Yash, D. "How to Use Cost in the Past Tense?." Grammarflex, Aug 24, 2025, https://grammarflex.com/cost-or-costed/.
