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costly

costly

64 1.7
Expensive and costing a lot of money
  • adjective
  • /ˈkɔːstli/
translation icon : caro
  • The new car is too costly for my budget right now.
  • less costly
  • more costly
  • too costly

It's a very costly option and it's loud.

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Examples

  • In the fifteenth century, a book was as costly and as rare as jewels.

    Academic text (2017)
  • Wool is so costly to buy.

  • I mean, it's trying to make it less costly for the families, for individuals.

  • And it's going to be very costly in many ways.

  • The process was more effective and less costly in terms of both time and money.

    Academic text (1992)
  • If all students are required to participate, then systems should choose the least costly assessment option.

    Academic text (2013)
  • Exploring the local food scene can be costly and time consuming.

  • Braille books are very costly because of the education required to transcribe correctly.

    Academic text (2013)
  • Many families find healthcare to be increasingly costly each year.

  • Renting in the city has become excessively costly for most residents.

Synonyms

expensive
vscostly
1.0

That costs a lot of money

means the same general high price
too expensive
vscostly
74 2.0

Costs more money than someone can afford

states high price generally without judging affordability
pricey
vscostly
  • Informal
54 4.4

Costs a lot of money

is the neutral term used in formal and neutral contexts
dear
vscostly
  • UK
50 7.0

Costing a lot of money

is the neutral modern word without old-fashioned tone
overpriced
vscostly
49 3.7

Too expensive for what you get

describes high price without judging its fairness or value
high-priced
vscostly
31 3.5

Costing a lot of money

is the neutral adjective for having a high price
big-ticket
vscostly
15 5.1

Very expensive and costing a lot of money

covers high cost generally, not only big one-off purchases
pricy
vscostly
  • US
9 4.0

Costing a lot of money

is the standard neutral word for a high price
high-ticket
vscostly
  • US
1 6.5

Costing a large amount of money

applies more widely to anything with a high price
spendy
vscostly
  • UK
1 8.2

Costing a lot of money

is a neutral adjective without colloquial tone
a bit overpriced
vscostly
3.0

Slightly more expensive than it should be for what you get

denotes high price without implying only a slight excess

Antonyms

1.0

Costing little money compared with similar things

86 1.0

Not costing much

How Expensive

exorbitant
25 7.9
costly
64 1.7
moderate
415 3.3
affordable
307 2.1
cheap
1.0

Surface Forms

costly positive
costlier comparative
costliest superlative

Morphology

costly = cost (transparent) = cost + ly

Productive adjective formation from the noun 'cost' with the suffix '-ly' results in the expected meaning 'involving much cost' (expensive).

Etymology

Costly comes from the word cost, meaning the 'price' you pay, plus the ending -ly that makes an adjective; so costly literally suggests 'full of cost' and therefore means 'expensive'.