(1) 花(消)费，代价(spending of money; cost or price) [U]： He always gives his children the best，regardless of the～. 他总是给他的孩子买最好的东西，不管花多少钱。The～of living is immense. 生活开支巨大。put sb to considerable～给某人造成相当大的开销;at the public/at one's own/at great/at little/at any～花公家的钱/花自己的钱/花费巨大/花费很少/不惜任何代价;be worth the～其代价值得;〖同〗cost，price; 〖反〗 income，return，profit;

(2) 费用;费钱之物 (something requiring the expenditure of money) [C]：one～follows another 一项接一项的费用;it's a great～to do sth 做某事的费用很高;Maintaining a car can be a heavy～. 保养一辆汽车的费用会很高。We have so many～s this month. 我们这个月要花钱的地方太多了。What an～clothes are. 衣服太贵了。It's nice to travel with～s paid by your employers，at no cost to yourself. 自己一分钱不花而全部由老板支付的旅行太好了。

(3) 开支，经费 (money spent in carrying out a job or for a specific purpose) [C，pl]：a salesman's/household (domestic)/living/miscellaneous/office/selling/travel(ling)～s推销员的经费/家庭(家里的)开支/生活开支/杂项支出/办公费用/销售费用/旅行费用;meet the～s of sth 应付某项费用; keep down～s 把支出降下来;

at sb's expense 由某人付费; 对某人不利：We stayed in the hotel at the employer's/at the firm's～. 我们住旅馆的费用是由老板/公司支付的。Are you trying to have a joke/a good laugh at my～? 你是要拿我开玩笑/嘲笑我吗?

at the expense of 花 …… 的钱; 对 …… 不利; 以 …… 为牺牲：He took a trip at the～of the company. 他用公司的钱旅行。His successful career was at the～of his social life/of others. 他事业上的成功是以牺牲社交生活/别人为代价的。

go to/put sb to the expense of doing sth (让人)花钱(做某事)：I have gone to a lot of～of educating you well. 为了让你受到良好的教育我已经花了很多钱。He was put to the～of providing education for the children. 为了给孩子们提供受教育的机会让他花了钱。

spare no expense 不惜一切代价：He spared no～to make the party a success/for his only daughter's wedding/in helping his friends. 他不惜一切代价办好这次聚会/举办独生女儿的婚礼/帮助他的朋友。

→ex′pensive adj 昂贵的，费钱的;ex′pensively adv 奢华地;ex′pensiveness n 昂贵，奢华;

【辨异】expense与charge，price，cost，value和fee的区别见CHARGE。