costly
adjective
cost·ly
ˈkȯs(t)-lē 
costlier; costliest
2
: made or done at heavy expense or sacrifice
a costly mistake
costliness
noun
Examples of costly in a Sentence
We use less costly materials in our products.
It was too costly to fix her car after the accident, so she decided to buy a new car instead.
They won the game, but their best player was injured, so it was a costly victory.
The decision to wait could be a costly mistake.
Recent Examples on the Web
For China, a sudden sell-off of U.S. Treasuries would also be extremely costly, increasing the value of its currency and, thus, the cost of Chinese exports even further.
—
Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Apr. 2025
This can help avoid costly fines and legal issues as well as keep employees safe.
—Steven Rogall, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025
The injections are also complicated and costly to make.
—Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 17 Apr. 2025
The first season was incredibly costly for many of the families.
—Daniel Eduardo Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for costly
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Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Apr. 2025
This can help avoid costly fines and legal issues as well as keep employees safe.
—Steven Rogall, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025
The injections are also complicated and costly to make.
—Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 17 Apr. 2025
The first season was incredibly costly for many of the families.
—Daniel Eduardo Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for costly
Cite this Entry
“Costly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/costly. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
costly
adjective
cost·ly
ˈkȯs(t)-lē
costlier; costliest
1
: of great cost or value
costly furs
2
: gained at great expense or sacrifice
a costly victory
costliness
noun
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