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/the] cost | cost/costed | will cost |
| continuous | am costing | was costing | 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 |
Cost as a noun or verb
The word ‘cost‘ can be a noun or a verb:
- As a noun, cost refers to “the amount of money that you need in order to buy, make or do something”.
- As a verb and action word, cost refers to having to pay for something, or the amount that has to be paid in order to buy, make or get something.
Cost is an irregular verb that accepts both costed and cost as a past tense and past participle form. That said, cost as the past tense and past participle form is more common across English speaking countries worldwide.
Other single-form verbs include (see the chart):
| base verb | past tense | past participle |
|---|---|---|
| cost | cost (or costed) | cost (or costed) |
| burst | burst | burst |
| bet | bet | bet |
| shut | shut | sunk |
| hit | hit | hit |
| set | set | set |
What’s the difference: past tense vs. past participle of cost?
Compare these sentences:
Past tense: The book cost/costed him $20.
Past participle form in the past perfect tense: The book had cost/costed him $20.
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)
1. Could you add the cost to my room bill?
2. It cost an awful lot of money.
3. This shirt costs 25 dollars.
4. Can you give me the approximate cost of the repair?
5. The repair should cost approximately $80.
Cost in the past tense (in sentences)
1. It cost me a lot of money.
2. The actual cost was higher than expected.
3. We shared the cost of the meal.
4. Her estimate of the cost was completely wrong.
5. 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)
1. The cost of flying overseas has risen with the cost of fuel.
2. I didn’t tell my wife how much it had cost.
3. It has cost me $1000 altogether.
4. This computer has cost me 5000 Dollars.
5. 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 | For something to cost an exorbitant amount of money. |
| cost an arm and a leg | A way to describe something that’s extremely expensive. |
| at any cost/at all costs | In any way possible, regardless of the risk or expense. |
| civility/courtesy costs nothing | It doesn’t require much to have basic courtesy and respect for others. |
| count the cost | To assess the consequences of something. |
| it will cost you | Meaning it won’t be free/of no consequence. |
| to your cost | Meaning, to one’s detriment or at their expense. |
| and hang the cost | To disregard or ignore the price. |
| cost a bomb | Something very expensive. |
Origin of the verb cost
From etymology online on cost (v.):
“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.
Read about other verb conjugations!
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- What’s the past tense of drive?
- What’s the past tense of draw?
Learn more about verbs
Work Sheet
According to the post, what is the most common past tense form of the verb “cost”?
In which situation is “costed” often used as a past participle?
Which sentence correctly uses the simple past tense according to the common usage mentioned?
Which sentence, referring to a past perfect event, uses the more common past participle form?
Based on the example in the post, which verb form is incorrect when referring to something that happened “Every year”?
Yesterday, the new tires ____ me over $400.
The initial estimates for the project were carefully ____ by the accounting team.
Before he sold it, the used car ____ him thousands of dollars in repairs.
She realized that the vacation had ____ her more than she planned.
The finance department meticulously ____ out all the potential expenditures before approving the budget.
Frequently Asked Questions
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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Yash, D. "Is it Cost or Costed? What’s the Past Tense of Cost?." Grammarflex, Jun 6, 2025, https://www.grammarflex.com/is-it-cost-or-costed-whats-the-past-tense-of-cost/.
Sources
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Harper, Douglas. “Etymology of cost.” Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/cost. Accessed 27 January, 2023.
