costly

1 of 2

adjective

cost·ly ˈkȯs(t)-lē

costlier; costliest

Synonyms of costly

: commanding a high price especially because of intrinsic worth

costly gems

: rich, splendid

: made or done at heavy expense or sacrifice

a costly mistake

costliness noun

costliness

2 of 2

noun

cost·li·ness

ˈkȯs(t)-lē-nəs also ˈkäs(t)-

plural -es

: the quality or state of being costly : high price or value : expensiveness

Synonyms of costly

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Adjective

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Examples of costly in a Sentence

Adjective 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.

Adjective

Experts have long warned that floating power deals can leave African governments dependent on costly contracts with foreign suppliers. — Ruben Nyanguila, semafor.com, 30 Oct. 2026 This gives reliability engineers a standardized baseline to track asset health over time, enabling teams to spot early signs of wear and intervene before minor issues escalate into costly plant shutdowns, according to a press release. — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 2026 Record-breaking king tides and oversized waves have flooded beachside bars and restaurants from Redondo Beach to Long Beach, forcing one burger shop to close and leaving others with costly damage. — Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026 It’s typically done by helicopters, which are costly, noisy, and polluting. — Edd Gent, IEEE Spectrum, 29 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for costly

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

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

Time Traveler

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

See more words from the same century

Browse Nearby Words

costliness

costly

costmary

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Costly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/costly. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Kids Definition

costly

adjective

cost·ly ˈkȯs(t)-lē

costlier; costliest

: of great cost or value

costly furs

: gained at great expense or sacrifice

a costly victory

costliness noun

costly

adjective

noun

Synonyms of costly

Examples of costly in a Sentence

Word History

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

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