costly

cost·ly

adjective \ˈkȯs(t)-lē\

: having a high price : costing a lot

: causing people to lose something or to suffer

cost·li·ercost·li·est

Full Definition of COSTLY

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>

— cost·li·ness noun

Examples of COSTLY

1. We use less costly materials in our products.
2. It was too costly to fix her car after the accident, so she decided to buy a new car instead.
3. They won the game, but their best player was injured, so it was a costly victory.
4. The decision to wait could be a costly mistake.

First Known Use of COSTLY

14th century

Related to COSTLY

Synonyms

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

Antonyms

cheap, inexpensive

Related Words

exorbitant, overpriced, prohibitive, sky-high, steep, stiff, unaffordable, uneconomic (or uneconomical), unreasonable; inestimable, invaluable; deluxe, luxurious, sumptuous

Near Antonyms

moderate, reasonable; valueless, worthless; discounted

Other Economics Terms

actuary, compound interest, globalization, indemnity, portfolio, rentier, stagflation, usurer

Rhymes with COSTLY

crossly