costly

adjective

cost·​ly ˈkȯs(t)-lē How to pronounce costly (audio)
costlier; costliest
1
a
: commanding a high price especially because of intrinsic worth
costly gems
b
2
: made or done at heavy expense or sacrifice
a costly mistake
costliness noun

Examples of costly in a Sentence

We use less costly materials in our products. It was too costly to fix her car after the accident, so she decided to buy a new car instead. They won the game, but their best player was injured, so it was a costly victory. The decision to wait could be a costly mistake.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Ekman-Larsson was relatively quiet but took a costly penalty after a scrum that probably never should’ve happened. Nick Ashbourne, The Athletic, 14 Mar. 2025 However, the company will need to adjust its pricing and service offerings along with significant operational changes which can be costly and time consuming. Joe Cornell, Forbes, 13 Mar. 2025 The deal is also expected to create $2.7 billion of synergies, driven by reducing Discover’s operating expenses through common business functions and moving Capital One’s purchase volumes to the Discover Network, which would reduce its reliance on MasterCard and Visa, which are quite costly. Jeff Marks, CNBC, 13 Mar. 2025 Residents argued that the partnership with ICE would be costly for Hialeah and make the city less safe because people will not come forward to report crimes. Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 12 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for costly

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of costly was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Costly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/costly. Accessed 18 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

costly

adjective
cost·​ly ˈkȯs(t)-lē How to pronounce costly (audio)
costlier; costliest
1
: of great cost or value
costly furs
2
: gained at great expense or sacrifice
a costly victory
costliness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on costly

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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