Costly — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective /ˈkȯs(t)-lē/ cost·ly

Meaning & Definition of Costly

Costly (adjective)

  1. commanding a high price especially because of intrinsic worth
  2. rich, splendid
  3. made or done at heavy expense or sacrifice

Costly (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. commanding a large price

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

    similar: big-ticket, dear, expensive, extravagant, high, high-end, high-ticket, precious, premium, priceless, pricey, spendy (chiefly Northwest), ultraexpensive, valuable
    related: exorbitant, overpriced, prohibitive, sky-high, steep, stiff, unaffordable, uneconomic, unreasonable, inestimable, invaluable, deluxe, luxurious, sumptuous
    opposite: cheap, inexpensive
    near: moderate, reasonable, valueless, worthless, discounted

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Costly

The most common words with a similar meaning to Costly:

Chiefly Northwest: spendy
big-ticket, dear, expensive, extravagant, high, high-end, high-ticket, precious, premium, priceless, pricey, ultraexpensive, valuable

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Costly

Words with the opposite meaning of Costly:

cheap, inexpensive

Related Words for Costly

exorbitant, overpriced, prohibitive, sky-high, steep, stiff, unaffordable, uneconomic, unreasonable, inestimable, invaluable, deluxe, luxurious, sumptuous

Near Antonyms of Costly

moderate, reasonable, valueless, worthless, discounted

Word Forms of Costly

Inflections: costlier, costliest

Derived words: costliness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Costly

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Costly

Frequently Asked Questions about Costly

What does "Costly" mean?

"Costly" means commanding a high price especially because of intrinsic worth. As an adjective, it is defined as: commanding a high price especially because of intrinsic worth.

What is another word for "Costly"?

Other words for "Costly" include big-ticket, dear, expensive, extravagant, high, high-end, high-ticket and precious. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Costly" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Costly"?

There are 28 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Costly". Common alternatives include big-ticket, dear, expensive, extravagant, high, high-end, high-ticket, precious, premium and priceless.

What is the opposite of "Costly"?

Antonyms of "Costly" include cheap and inexpensive. Near antonyms include moderate, reasonable, valueless and worthless.

How do you use "Costly" in a sentence?

Examples of "Costly" in a sentence: "running is one sport that does not require a lot of costly equipment".

Is "Costly" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Costly" is an adjective.

Is "Costly" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Costly" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Costly"?

"Costly" is pronounced /ˈkȯs(t)-lē/ and divided into syllables as cost·ly.