COSTLY: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for COSTLY?

Need another word that means the same as “costly”? Find 32 synonyms and 30 related words for “costly” in this overview.

The synonyms of “Costly” are: dearly-won, dear, high-priced, pricey, pricy, expensive, overpriced, exorbitant, extortionate, immoderate, extravagant, catastrophic, ruinous, disastrous, calamitous, cataclysmic, devastating, crippling, crushing, fatal, lethal, damaging, harmful, injurious, deleterious, woeful, grievous, lamentable, dire, awful, terrible, unfortunate

Costly as an Adjective

Definitions of "Costly" as an adjective

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “costly” as an adjective can have the following definitions:

• Entailing great loss or sacrifice.
• Having a high price.
• Causing suffering, loss, or disadvantage.
• Costing a lot; expensive.

Synonyms of "Costly" as an adjective (32 Words)

awful	Exceptionally bad or displeasing. This sea whose gently awful stirrings seem to speak of some hidden soul beneath.
calamitous	Having extremely unfortunate or dire consequences; bringing ruin. A calamitous defeat.
cataclysmic	Used to emphasize the extent of something bad or unwelcome. A cataclysmic earthquake.
catastrophic	Involving or causing sudden great damage or suffering. Catastrophic mismanagement of the economy.
crippling	That cripples or disables or incapacitates. A crippling disease.
crushing	Physically or spiritually devastating; often used in combination. A crushing rejection.
damaging	(sometimes followed by `to’) causing harm or injury. Damaging allegations of corruption.
dear	Endearing sweet. One s dearest wish.
dearly-won	Entailing great loss or sacrifice.
deleterious	Harmful to living things. Deleterious chemical additives.
devastating	Physically or spiritually devastating often used in combination. She had a devastating wit.
dire	Extremely serious or urgent. Misuse of drugs can have dire consequences.
disastrous	Highly unsuccessful. The battle was a disastrous end to a disastrous campaign.
exorbitant	Greatly exceeding bounds of reason or moderation. Exorbitant rent.
expensive	Costing a lot of money. An expensive shop.
extortionate	Using or given to extortion. Extortionate prices.
extravagant	Lacking restraint in spending money or using resources. It was rather extravagant to buy both.
fatal	Bringing death. It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.
grievous	Of great gravity or crucial import; requiring serious thought. Grievous bodily harm.
harmful	Causing or capable of causing harm. Too much sun is harmful to the skin.
high-priced	Having a high price.
immoderate	Beyond reasonable limits. Immoderate drinking.
injurious	Causing or likely to cause damage or harm. Food which is injurious to health.
lamentable	Bad; unfortunate. Her open prejudice showed lamentable immaturity.
lethal	Very harmful or destructive. A lethal injection.
overpriced	Too expensive; costing more than it is worth. Overpriced hotels.
pricey	Having a high price. Boutiques selling pricey clothes.
pricy	Having a high price.
ruinous	Extremely harmful; bringing physical or financial ruin. The castle is ruinous.
terrible	Used to emphasize the extent of something unpleasant or bad. The stranger gave a terrible smile.
unfortunate	Not favored by fortune; marked or accompanied by or resulting in ill fortune. The delay at the airport was an unfortunate start to our holiday.
woeful	Affected by or full of grief or woe. Her face was woeful.

Usage Examples of "Costly" as an adjective

• Costly jewelry.
• The government's biggest and most costly mistake.
• Major problems requiring costly repairs.

Associations of "Costly" (30 Words)

billion	The number that is represented as a one followed by 12 zeros; in the United Kingdom the usage followed in the United States is frequently seen.
billionaire	A very rich person whose material wealth is valued at more than a billion dollars.
cash	Exchange for cash. I cashed the check as soon as it arrived in the mail.
century	A company in the ancient Roman army, originally of a hundred men. A twentieth century lifestyle.
compute	Reckon or calculate (a figure or amount. The hire charge is computed on a daily basis.
cost	Estimate the price of. Costs may be awarded to a successful private prosecutor out of central funds.
deluxe	Elegant and sumptuous. A deluxe hotel.
expensive	Costing a lot of money. Keeping a horse is expensive.
financier	Conduct financial operations.
five	A playing card or a domino or a die whose upward face shows five pips.
hundred	Being ten more than ninety. Wantage Hundred.
income	Money received, especially on a regular basis, for work or through investments. He has a nice home and an adequate income.
inefficient	Not producing desired results; wasteful. Inefficient transport systems.
investor	A person or organization that puts money into financial schemes, property, etc. with the expectation of achieving a profit. Foreign investors in the British commercial property sector.
million	A very large indefinite number (usually hyperbole. There were millions of flies.
millionaire	A person whose assets are worth one million pounds or dollars or more. He is now a millionaire several times over.
outlay	An amount of money spent on something. A modest outlay on local advertising.
overpayment	A payment larger than needed or expected. A refund for overpayment of tax.
paying	For which money is paid. A paying job.
percent	A proportion in relation to a whole (which is usually the amount per hundred.
philanthropist	Someone who makes charitable donations intended to increase human well-being. The trust was founded by an American philanthropist.
rich	Marked by richness and fullness of flavor. Novels have always been a rich source of material for the film industry.
seventy	The cardinal number that is the product of ten and seven.
spending	The act of spending or disbursing money.
spendthrift	Someone who spends money prodigally. A spendthrift uncle.
stipend	A sum of money allotted on a regular basis; usually for some specific purpose.
ten	One of four playing cards in a deck with ten pips on the face.
three	One of four playing cards in a deck having three pips.
times	Multiply (a number. You times the six by four to get twenty four.
trillion	One million million in the United States. In England they call a trillion a billion.