expense/Ikˋspɛns; Ikˈspens/n 1 [C,U] the amount of money you spend on something 花销﹐开支: household/medical/living expenses (=money that you spend for a particular purpose) 家庭/医疗/生活开支 All his money went on medical expenses. 他所有的钱都用于支付医药费了。All rooms were fully equipped at great expense (=costing a lot of money). 所有的房间都花了大钱配备齐全。2 expenses [plural 复数] money that you spend on travel, hotels etc when you are working, and then get back from your employer 业务费用: They pay £300 a week plus expenses. 他们给每周薪水 300 英镑﹐外加报销费用。on expenses Don’t worry, I’ll put the taxi on expenses. 别担心﹐我可以报销出租车费。3 at the expense of sb/sth if something is done at the expense of something or someone else, it is achieved by harming the other person or thing 以(损害)某人/某物为代价: A medical career requires commitment at the expense of family life. 从事医护工作需要奉献精神﹐要牺牲家庭生活。4 at sb's expensea) if you do something at someone's expense, they pay for you to do it 由某人付费: a trip to Japan at the tax-payer's expense 由纳税人出钱的日本之行b) in a way that makes someone seem stupid 嘲弄某人: Louis kept making jokes at his wife's expense. 路易斯老是嘲弄妻子。