costly
/ˈkɒstli/adjective★Intermediate— expensive
general
expensive; having a high price or cost
The repairs to the car were costly.
The repairs to the car were expensive.
She bought a costly diamond ring for her wedding.
She bought an expensive diamond ring for her wedding.
💡
Often used to emphasize the financial burden of something.
Collocations
costly mistakean expensive or serious errorcostly repairan expensive repaircostly investmentan expensive investment
💡Pro Tip
Usage Tip
Use 'costly' to emphasize the financial burden or seriousness of an expense.
📖Word Origin
From Middle English 'costli', from Old English 'costlīc', from 'cost' + '-līc' (suffix meaning 'like').
📝Usage Notes
Can be used to describe both tangible and intangible costs, such as time or effort.
Word Breakdown
cost
price or expense
root-ly
having the quality of
suffixEnglish Dictionary