消耗,花费 cost in money, time or effort
花费的钱,费用 money spent in doing sth
同义词
n. disbursal，disbursement
词汇辨析
charge，price，fee，fare，cost，expense
这些名词均有 价格，费用 之意。
charge 指提供服务时索取的费用，也指货物的价格、价钱。
price 指商品在市场出售的价格，尤指卖方对商品所提出的单价。比喻意义指付出的代价。
fee 指上学、求医以及找律师等付的费用，还可指会费、借书费等。
fare 侧重指旅行时所付的车、船费等费用。
cost 指生产某东西的成本，也泛指商品的价格，可与price换用。
expense 常指实际支付的费用总数额，有时也指钱的花费。
参考例句
1. The expense of time and energy on the project was high.
那个项目在时间和精力上的支出是很高的。
2. The software lacks some key features which I consider must have for any expense reporting software like.
该软件缺乏一些关键的特点，我认为 必须有 任何牺牲的报告软件，例如。
3. Accountants should follow the conservatism principle so as to determine the possible loss and expense reasonably.
会计师应遵循稳健性原则，以便合理地确定可能发生的损失和费用。
N-VAR Expense is the money that something costs you or that you need to spend in order to do something. 花费
例：Hes bought a big TV at vast expense so that everyone can see properly.
他花了很多钱买了台大电视，这样人人都可以看清楚了。
2.N-PLURAL Expenses are amounts of money that you spend while doing something in the course of your work, which will be paid back to you afterwards. 开支
例：Her airfare and hotel expenses were paid by the committee.
她乘飞机及住酒店的费用由该委员会支付了。
3.PHRASE If you do something at someones expense, they provide the money for it. 由 付费
例：Should architects continue to be trained for five years at public expense?
建筑师继续受训5年应由公众付费吗?
4.PHRASE If someone laughs or makes a joke at your expense, they do it to make you seem foolish. 捉弄
例：I think hes having fun at our expense.
我看他是在拿咱们寻开心。
5.PHRASE If you achieve something at the expense of someone, you do it in a way that might cause them some harm or disadvantage. 以牺牲 为代价
例：According to this study, women have made notable gains at the expense of men.
根据这项研究，女性以牺牲男性的利益为代价而取得了显著收益。
6.PHRASE If you say that someone does something at the expense of another thing, you are expressing concern that they are not doing the second thing, because the first thing uses all their resources. 以牺牲 为代价
例：The orchestra has more discipline now, but at the expense of spirit.
该管弦乐队现在更有纪律了，但却牺牲了士气。
7.PHRASE If you go to the expense of doing something, you do something that costs a lot of money. If you go to great expense to do something, you spend a lot of money in order to achieve it. 花大钱
例：Why go to the expense of buying an electric saw when you can borrow one?
你能借到电锯，却为何去花钱买呢?
常见用法
用作名词
Its too much of an expense for me to own a car.
对我来说，拥有一辆汽车的花费太大。
Societies should try to save every plant and animal species, regardless of the expense to humans in effort, time, and financial well-being.
社会应尽力挽救每一动植物物种,不管花费多少人力、时间和财力。
Dont involve yourself in unnecessary expense.
勿做不必要的花费。
He finished the job at the expenses of his health.
他以牺牲健康完成了这项工作。
Thats why a reduction in price can never be made at the expense of quality.
正因为如此,降低价格的同时,并不能以牺牲质量为代价。