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Definition of costly adjective from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

     

    costly

     adjective
    adjective
    NAmE//ˈkɔstli//
     
    (costlier, costliest)
     
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  1. 1You can also use more costly and most costly. costing a lot of money, especially more than you want to pay synonym expensive Buying new furniture may prove too costly. Thesaurusexpensive
    • costly
    • overpriced
    • pricey
    These words all describe something that costs a lot of money.
    • expensive costing a lot of money; charging high prices:I can't afford it—it's just too expensive for me. an expensive restaurant
    • costly (somewhat formal) costing a lot of money, especially more than you want to pay:You want to avoid costly legal proceedings if you can.
    • overpriced too expensive; costing more than it is worth:ridiculously overpriced designer clothes
    • pricey (informal) expensive:Condos downtown are now too pricey for local people to afford.
    Patterns
    • expensive/costly/pricey for somebody/something
    • expensive/costly to do something
    • very/too/fairly/quite/pretty expensive/costly/pricey
  2. 2causing problems or the loss of something synonym expensive a costly mistake/failure Mining can be costly in terms of lives (= too many people can die).
 
noun [uncountable]
See costly in the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary