COSTLY Synonyms: 37 Similar and Opposite Words

costly

adjective

ˈkȯs(t)-lē

Definition of costly

as in expensive

commanding a large price running is one sport that does not require a lot of costly equipment

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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.

Recent Examples of costly Faster vehicles may be associated with a greater risk of crashes and more costly claims. — Mckynzie Steward, AJC.com, 28 Aug. 2026 That is true, but making costly and unnecessary wars harder to start belongs in the credit column, not the debit one. — Jennifer Kavanagh, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2026 Doing that would require costly surveys to be conducted and would limit his ability to build a second house on the property. — John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 28 Aug. 2026 Building cultural intelligence in from the start reduces costly rework and helps brands make better use of their resources and timelines. — Sonia Thompson, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for costly

Recent Examples of Synonyms for costly

Adjective

But when shovels become too expensive, the miners start forging their own.

— Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
West Virginia is the least expensive state, with an income of $81,245 for a single adult and $202,592 for a family of four.

— Madeline Bartos, CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of expensive

Adjective

The simple way to think about this product is a closer integration between Salesforce's library of customers' valuable data and the capabilities of the Claude model.

— Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
The term describes how one’s actions have side effects that might be more valuable than the actions themselves, like a bee pollinating the world’s flowers while making honey for its hive.

— Christopher Cox, Vanity Fair, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of valuable

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costless

costly

costs

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“Costly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/costly. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of costly

adjective

Example Sentences

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