American Dictionary

Define dictionary terms easily in our powerful online English dictionary.

Searching for...

No matching words found

Try a different search term or browse the dictionary

Definition costly in American English

costly adjective

adjective
/ˈkɔs(t)li/
1

costing a lot of money

Example

They have been investing in costly new equipment.

Example

Changing your company's management style can be a costly business.

Synonyms and related words
1.1

used about something that costs more money than you want to pay

Example

Appeals can be costly and time-consuming.

Synonyms and related words
1.2

used about something that is expensive but of very good quality

Example

costly silks/perfumes

Synonyms and related words
Example

Dropping the ball with only seconds left to play was a costly mistake.

Synonyms and related words
Definition costly in American English