costly
/ˈkɒstli/
expensive
The surgery was costly, but it saved his life.
The surgery was expensive, but it saved his life.
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