costly

[ kawst-lee, kost- ]

adjective

, cost·li·er, cost·li·est.

1. costing much; expensive; high in price:

   a costly emerald bracelet; costly medical care.

   Synonyms: high-priced, dear

2. resulting in great expense:

   The upkeep of such a large house is costly.

3. resulting in great detriment:

   It was a costly mistake because no one ever trusted him again.

4. of great value; very valuable; sumptuous.
5. lavish; extravagant.

costly

/ ˈkɒstlɪ /

adjective

1. of great price or value; expensive
2. entailing great loss or sacrifice

   a costly victory

3. splendid; lavish

Derived Forms

• ˈcostliness, noun

Other Words From

• costli·ness noun
• over·costli·ness noun
• over·costly adjective
• un·costly adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of costly¹

First recorded in 1350–1400, costly is from the Middle English word costli. See cost, -ly

Synonym Study

See expensive.

Example Sentences

With 19 minutes left, he went into turbo charge and Gvardiol, one of the costliest and most composed defenders in English football, suddenly had the steadiness of a blancmange.

From BBC

A blitz defence can post impressive gainline numbers or contain a team for sustained periods, but, when it fails, the errors can also be more costly.

From BBC

"It's a lot more costly, generally, than what you would class as a small molecule drug that you can chemically synthesise."

From BBC

These individually managed funds are divided by local authority, making it more costly, because each fund is paying its own management and administration fees.

From BBC

Some environmental groups worry nuclear projects are too costly and come with timelines that do not meet the urgency of the climate crisis.

From BBC

Related Words

• catastrophic
• disastrous
• ruinous