Synonyms of costly

costly

adjective

ˈkȯs(t)-lē 

as in expensive

commanding a large price

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• expensive
• valuable
• precious
• premium
• extravagant
• pricey
• high
• luxurious
• priceless
• high-end
• spendy
• dear
• prohibitive
• big-ticket
• steep
• high-ticket
• exorbitant
• unaffordable
• uneconomic
• unreasonable
• overpriced
• ultraexpensive
• invaluable
• deluxe
• inestimable
• sky-high
• sumptuous
• stiff

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• inexpensive
• cheap
• reasonable
• moderate
• worthless
• valueless
• discounted

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of costly

The least costly and least distorting way to solve the entire financing gap is to extend Social Security's base beyond paychecks to capital income -- capital gains, dividends, interest and pass-through business income. — Teresa Ghilarducci, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026

The test could help researchers identify candidates for Alzheimer’s prevention trials without relying as heavily on costly brain scans or spinal fluid tests. — Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 17 July 2026

On top of that, foreign and domestic outbreaks of New World screwworm, a flesh-eating parasite, are further straining the already tight cattle supply and driving up expenses due to costly disease monitoring and prevention measures. — Claire Malon, Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2026

Government shutdowns are usually politically costly for the party in power. — Hailey Bullis, The Washington Examiner, 17 July 2026