expense
noun uk/ɪkˈspens/ us/ɪkˈspens/
B2 [ U ]花钱;支付;耗费
the use of money, time, or effort
Buying a bigger car has proved to be well worth the expense. 事实证明，买辆大点儿的车还是很值得的。
We've just had a new garage built at great expense. 我们刚花了很多钱建了一座新车库。
We went on holiday at my father's expense (= he paid for it). 我们去度了假，一切费用由我父亲支付。
It's silly to go to the expense of (= spend money on) buying new clothes when you don't really need them. 花钱买你并不真正需要的新衣服是很傻的。
[ C ]花钱的东西（或缘由）;开销
something that makes you spend money
Our biggest expense this year was our summer holiday. 我们今年最大的开销就是暑期度假。
We need to cut down on our expenses. 我们必须削减开支。
expenses C1 [ plural ] （向雇主报销的）业务费用，开支，花销
money that you spend when you are doing your job, that your employer will pay back to you
I need to get my expenses approved. 我得去办报销核准手续。
UK Don't worry about the cost of lunch - it's on expenses. 别担心午饭花多少钱——这是可以报销的。
His employer fired him for lying about his expenses.
Our accommodation was covered by expenses.
She claimed over £15,000 in business expenses last year.
- More examples
- He claimed that the restaurant bill was a legitimate business expense.
- Just buy it - never mind the expense!
- Owning a car involves a lot of expense - it's unavoidable.
- She rationalized the expense by saying that the costly carpet she had bought would last longer than a cheaper one.
- All the time and expense involved in keeping up to date with the changes has been worthwhile.
Idioms
all expenses paididiom 一切费用已付的;别人支付的;免费的
If something is all expenses paid, it means that you do not have to pay for anything yourself.
She's going on a trip to New York, all expenses paid. 她将要去纽约旅行——免费的。
an all expenses paid trip to New York 免费去纽约的旅行
at the expense of someoneidiom (also at someone's expense)C2 捉弄，戏弄；拿…开心
making another person look silly
Would you stop making jokes at my expense? 你别再拿我开玩笑了，好不好？
at the expense of somethingidiom C1 以…为代价，在…受损的情况下
If you do one thing at the expense of another, doing the first thing harms the second thing.
He had no need to protect their reputation at the expense of his own. 他没有必要为了保护他们的名誉而牺牲自己的。
blow/hang the expenseidiom UK informal 管它花多少钱呢，不在乎花多少钱
used for saying that you want something so much that you do not care how much it costs
I'm going to book a holiday. Blow the expense! 我要预约安排度假。管它花多少钱呢！
no expense is sparedidiom 不惜重金;不惜代价
If no expense is spared in arranging something, a lot of money is spent to make it extremely good.
No expense was spared in making the guests feel comfortable. 为了使客人住得舒适不惜重金。