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be costly
/biː ˈkɒstli/
expensive
Renovating the house will be costly.
This means the renovation will require a lot of money.
general
to require a large amount of money
Medical treatments can be costly without insurance.
This means medical treatments are expensive if you don't have insurance.
The project was abandoned because it would be too costly.
The project was stopped because it would require too much money.
This phrase is commonly used to describe something that requires significant financial investment.
Collocations
be costly toto require a lot of money for a specific actionbe costly into have high expenses related to a particular aspect
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Context Matters
The phrase 'be costly' is versatile and can be used in both formal and informal settings. Pay attention to the context to ensure the tone is appropriate.
Gold Rule
Avoid Overuse
While 'be costly' is a useful phrase, overusing it can make your speech or writing sound repetitive. Try to vary your vocabulary with synonyms like 'expensive' or 'pricey'.
Word Origin
The phrase 'be costly' comes from the Old English 'costlic,' meaning 'valuable' or 'expensive.' The modern usage emphasizes the financial burden of something.
Usage Notes
This phrase is often used in formal and informal contexts to describe the financial implications of an action or item. It can be used in both positive and negative contexts, depending on the situation.
Word Breakdown
be
to exist in a certain state
verbcostly
expensive or requiring a lot of money
adjectiveEnglish Dictionary