costly

[kawst-lee, kost-]

adjective

costlier, costliest 

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

Other Word Forms

• costliness noun
• overcostliness noun
• overcostly adjective
• uncostly 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

And third, the Supreme Court has frowned on recent presidents who relied on old laws to justify bold, new, costly regulations.

From Los Angeles Times

Lyster said the possibility of expanding the Disneyland monorail has not come up in “recent discussions,” since the newer options might turn out to be environmentally friendlier and less costly.

From Los Angeles Times

Catchable fly balls drop, wild pitches, poor effort from the bullpen are costly as Dodgers fall to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

From Los Angeles Times

California is physically immense, too, stretching approximately 800 miles from north to south, which makes costly advertising the only realistic way to communicate in a statewide top-of-the-ticket contest.

From Los Angeles Times

This week marks the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, one of the deadliest and costliest storms in U.S. history.

From Salon

Related Words

• catastrophic 
• disastrous 
• ruinous