costly
Americanadjective
-
costing much; expensive; high in price.
a costly emerald bracelet; costly medical care.
- Synonyms:
- high-priced, dear
-
resulting in great expense.
The upkeep of such a large house is costly.
-
resulting in great detriment.
It was a costly mistake because no one ever trusted him again.
-
of great value; very valuable; sumptuous.
-
lavish; extravagant.
adjective
-
of great price or value; expensive
-
entailing great loss or sacrifice
a costly victory
-
splendid; lavish
Related Words
See expensive.
Other Word Forms
- costliness noun
- overcostliness noun
- overcostly adjective
- uncostly adjective
Etymology
Origin of costly
First recorded in 1350–1400, costly is from the Middle English word costli. See cost, -ly
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Manufacturing a display with a pair of hinges able to fold twice was a complex, costly task.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026
These transitional agreements allow them to delay the introduction, in some cases for more than a decade, because they are locked into existing contracts which would be too costly to change.
From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026
Recovering from any structural damage will be costly, and if strikes continue, companies could rethink their long-term investment in the region, James and Maayeh note.
From Barron's • Mar. 29, 2026
There are techniques to stretch supplies by more efficiently applying fertilizer, Parra noted, such as by administering soil treatments, though they are costly.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 29, 2026
“Diabetes mellitus—commonly referred to as diabetes—is a costly, silent killer. This complex but common disease occurs when a cat’s body either doesn’t produce or doesn’t properly use insulin.”
From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
