costly
adjective
cost·ly
ˈkȯs(t)-lē 
costlier; costliest
2
: made or done at heavy expense or sacrifice
a costly mistake
costliness
noun
Synonyms
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
For example Israel is the only state in the Middle East so far that’s bought Lockheed Martin Corp.’s F-35 fighter jet — the costliest weapons system ever.
—
Tony Capaccio, Fortune, 14 Apr. 2024
The approach of the peak driving season and the annual switch by refineries to more costly summer gasolines has driven up the national average for unleaded to $3.63, according to AAA.
—Kate Gibson, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2024
Drake Callender started in goal, and made a couple of early saves, but his error in the 31st minute proved costly.
—Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2024
In a town where everyone hides something and is willing to do anything to protect their loved ones, the quest for truth may be a costly exercise for Júlia.
—Annika Pham, Variety, 10 Apr. 2024
In that case, a multistory cruise liner carrying more than 4,000 passengers and crew ran aground and capsized off Italy’s west coast, killing 32 people, which ended up costing $2 billion — the costliest maritime disaster so far.
—Federica Cocco, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
China hasn’t committed to any steps to address American concerns, arguing that its cheap solar panels and other green products are helping the world wage the costly battle against climate change.
—Christopher Rugaber, Fortune Asia, 8 Apr. 2024
In the analog era, changing prices was costly, requiring manually updating signs or applying markdown stickers.
—Lydia Depillis Lydia Depillis, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2024
Quiet Life Weddings Pinterest searches and pins reflect a growing shift away from costly, over-the-top weddings in favor of more relaxed, intimate nuptials.
—Erin Clack, Peoplemag, 6 Apr. 2024
Tony Capaccio, Fortune, 14 Apr. 2024
The approach of the peak driving season and the annual switch by refineries to more costly summer gasolines has driven up the national average for unleaded to $3.63, according to AAA.
—Kate Gibson, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2024
Drake Callender started in goal, and made a couple of early saves, but his error in the 31st minute proved costly.
—Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2024
In a town where everyone hides something and is willing to do anything to protect their loved ones, the quest for truth may be a costly exercise for Júlia.
—Annika Pham, Variety, 10 Apr. 2024
In that case, a multistory cruise liner carrying more than 4,000 passengers and crew ran aground and capsized off Italy’s west coast, killing 32 people, which ended up costing $2 billion — the costliest maritime disaster so far.
—Federica Cocco, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
China hasn’t committed to any steps to address American concerns, arguing that its cheap solar panels and other green products are helping the world wage the costly battle against climate change.
—Christopher Rugaber, Fortune Asia, 8 Apr. 2024
In the analog era, changing prices was costly, requiring manually updating signs or applying markdown stickers.
—Lydia Depillis Lydia Depillis, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2024
Quiet Life Weddings Pinterest searches and pins reflect a growing shift away from costly, over-the-top weddings in favor of more relaxed, intimate nuptials.
—Erin Clack, Peoplemag, 6 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'costly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near costly
Cite this Entry
“Costly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/costly. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
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