COSTLY Synonyms: 37 Similar and Opposite Words

costly

adjective

ˈkȯs(t)-lē

Definition of costly

as in expensive

commanding a large price running is one sport that does not require a lot of costly equipment

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of costly Unlike costly in-ground pools that require months of construction, these budget-conscious options are a fraction of the price and can be ready to dive into before summer’s end. — Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 21 Aug. 2026 The auditor recommended city staff look at updating its project systems so the City Council reviews costly project changes, but city staff disagreed with that recommendation. — Katie Langford, Denver Post, 21 Aug. 2026 But spanning every price point — from costly AAA titles to tiny projects made by just one person — the resulting abundance was routinely described as a nuisance by some consumers. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 21 Aug. 2026 The Formlabs Form 4, by contrast, requires a costly upgrade to enable its equivalent open material mode. — Michael Lydick, PC Magazine, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for costly

Recent Examples of Synonyms for costly

Adjective

But when shovels become too expensive, the miners start forging their own.

— Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
West Virginia is the least expensive state, with an income of $81,245 for a single adult and $202,592 for a family of four.

— Madeline Bartos, CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of expensive

Adjective

The simple way to think about this product is a closer integration between Salesforce's library of customers' valuable data and the capabilities of the Claude model.

— Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
The term describes how one’s actions have side effects that might be more valuable than the actions themselves, like a bee pollinating the world’s flowers while making honey for its hive.

— Christopher Cox, Vanity Fair, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of valuable

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costless

costly

costs

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“Costly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/costly. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of costly

adjective

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