1. 花费;费用;开支
    Expense is the money that something costs you or that you need to spend in order to do something.

    e.g. He's bought a specially big TV at vast expense so that everyone can see properly...
           他花大价钱买了一台特别大的电视机，这样每个人都能看清楚。
    e.g. To avoid extra expense and mess later on, try to decide on fittings before the plastering's finished...
           为避免将来出现额外的开支和不必要的麻烦，尽量在抹灰完工之前把固定设施确定下来。

2. （由雇主报销的）开支，费用，业务费用
    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.

    e.g. As a member of the International Olympic Committee her fares and hotel expenses were paid by the IOC...
           作为国际奥林匹克委员会的成员，她的交通费用和酒店住宿费用都由国际奥委会支付。
    e.g. Can you claim this back on expenses?
           这个你能报销吗？

3. 由…付费
    If you do something at someone's expense, they provide the money for it.

    e.g. Should architects continue to be trained for five years at public expense?...
           建筑师是否应该继续接受5年的公费培训呢？
    e.g. Teachers who signed up did so out of personal choice and at their own expense.
           报名的教师完全出于自愿而且费用自理。

4. 拿…开玩笑;以…为嘲弄的对象
    If someone laughs or makes a joke at your expense, they do it to make you seem foolish.

expense什么意思

    e.g. I think he's having fun at our expense.
           我想他在拿我们寻开心。

5. 以牺牲…的利益为代价
    If you achieve something at the expense of someone, you do it in a way which might cause them some harm or disadvantage.

    e.g. But skeptics worry that costs may be trimmed at the expense of the patient...
           但是持怀疑态度的人担心费用的削减会以牺牲病人的利益为代价。
    e.g. 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获得了显著的收益。

6. 以…为代价
    If you say that someone does something at the expense of another thing, you are expressing concern at the fact that they are not doing the second thing, because the first thing uses all their resources.

    e.g. They are worth having but not at the expense of better services...
           它们值得拥有，但是不能因此放弃更好的服务。
    e.g. The orchestra has more discipline now, but at the expense of spirit.
           那个管弦乐团现在更有纪律性了，却丧失了灵魂。

7. 花（大笔）钱做
    If you go to the expense of doing something, you do something which 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.

    e.g. Why go to the expense of buying an electric saw when you can hire one?...
           既然可以租电锯，为什么要花大价钱买一个呢？
    e.g. It was said that he went to great expense to install a lift in the building.
           据说他花费巨资在大楼里安装了一台电梯。

8. to spare no expense -> see spare