costly

adjective

cost·​ly ˈkȯs(t)-lē 

costlier; costliest

1

a

: commanding a high price especially because of intrinsic worth

costly gems

b

: rich, splendid

2

: made or done at heavy expense or sacrifice

a costly mistake

costliness noun

Synonyms

• big-ticket
• dear
• expensive
• extravagant
• high
• high-end
• high-ticket
• precious
• premium
• priceless
• pricey
• pricy
• spendy [chiefly Northwest]
• ultraexpensive
• valuable

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

Ariane 6 and Vega C are costly, lack a path to reusability, and aren't geared to match SpaceX's blistering launch cadence. —Ars Technica, 23 Mar. 2025

The department is designed to ensure equitable access to quality education nationwide and enforces protections for students with disabilities, Its dismantling could be more costly for Trump-voting states than blue states, Axios' April Rubin has reported. —Axios, 22 Mar. 2025

Replacing employees is costly, with the Work Institute finding that replacing a worker costs organizations up to 33% of the employee’s annual salary. —Cheryl Robinson, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025

There’s one simple estate planning move anyone can make to help your family avoid costly and time-consuming court battles, says Zach Wiegand, an attorney at Gold Leaf Estate Planning in Burnsville, Minnesota. —Judy Lagrou, CNBC, 21 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

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

Kids Definition

costly

adjective

cost·​ly ˈkȯs(t)-lē 

costlier; costliest

1

: of great cost or value

costly furs

2

: gained at great expense or sacrifice

a costly victory

costliness noun