toll

The harm or suffering caused by a difficult experience or situation.

• Stress takes a toll on your health.
• Years of hard work took their toll.
• She felt the emotional toll of caring for him.

How to use it: take a toll on someone/something (The long journey took a toll on her body.)

Similar words: cost, damage

Common phrases: take a toll, heavy toll, emotional toll

Money you pay to use a road, bridge, tunnel, or other service.

• We paid a toll at the bridge.
• The tunnel toll has increased.
• Do you have enough cash for the toll?

Similar words: fee, charge

Common phrases: pay a toll, road toll, toll booth

The number of deaths or the amount of damage caused by a disaster.

• The death toll rose overnight.
• Officials are assessing the toll from the flood.
• The war took a terrible toll on the population.

Similar words: losses, damage

Common phrases: death toll, heavy toll, toll from something

The slow, repeated ringing of a large bell, often for a funeral.

• We heard the toll of a bell.
• The church bell’s toll broke the silence.
• A solemn toll marked the end of the funeral.

Similar words: ringing, knell

Common phrases: toll of something, funeral toll, solemn toll

Money paid to a company for processing materials owned by someone else.

• The refinery charges a toll for processing ore.
• Our contract sets the toll per tonne.
• The owner paid a toll to have the metal processed.

Similar words: processing fee

Common phrases: processing toll, refining toll, pay a toll

To ring a large bell slowly and repeatedly, or to make it ring this way.

• The church bell tolled.
• They tolled the bell for the dead.
• We heard bells tolling at midnight.

How to use it: toll for someone (The bells tolled for the victims.)

Similar words: ring, knell

Common phrases: toll a bell, toll for someone

To make people pay to use a road, bridge, or similar facility.

• The city plans to toll the bridge.
• They tolled the highway to fund repairs.
• Will the government toll this tunnel?

Similar words: charge for

Common phrases: toll a bridge, toll a road, toll a tunnel

To call people to a place by ringing a bell.

• The bell tolled the workers home.
• They tolled the villagers to evening prayers.
• A monk tolled everyone back to the chapel.

How to use it: toll someone to something (They tolled the workers to the evening service.)

Similar words: summon, call

Common phrases: toll someone back, toll someone home