costly

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

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.

Nick Woltemade followed, joining Juventus on loan on Tuesday, bringing a temporary end to a costly, stylistic mismatch which contributed to throwing Eddie Howe’s Newcastle off-kilter. — George Caulkin, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026 Consumers may need to weigh price against factors like car age and mileage — and the potential for costly repairs and maintenance, experts said. — Sarah Agostino, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026 The plant can then schedule a repair and avoid an unexpected and costly breakdown. — Andrea Hsu, NPR, 1 Sep. 2026 Ukraine is working to make the invasion as costly for the Russian government as possible, striking military and logistical sites within range of their drones and ballistics. — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 1 Sep. 2026 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

See more words from the same century

Browse Nearby Words

costliness

costly

costmary

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Costly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/costly. Accessed 2 Sep. 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

Synonyms of costly

Examples of costly in a Sentence

Word History

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

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