costly

/'kɔstli/

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Explanation of "Costly"

Definition:
The word "costly" is an adjective that describes something that has a high price or requires a lot of money. It can also mean something that is very expensive in terms of effort, time, or sacrifice.

Usage Instructions:

• Use "costly" when you want to describe items or experiences that are expensive.
• It can be used in both literal and figurative contexts.

Examples:

1. Literal Meaning:

   • "The costly jewelry at the store caught my eye, but I couldn't afford it."
   • "Buying a new car can be very costly."

2. Figurative Meaning:

   • "Winning the championship was a costly victory because many players were injured."
   • "The project turned out to be costly in terms of time and resources."

Advanced Usage:

• Entailing Great Loss or Sacrifice: You can use "costly" to describe situations where achieving something comes with significant sacrifice. For example, "The reforms were politically costly, leading to the loss of many supporters."

Word Variants:

• Noun Form: "Cost" (the amount of money required to purchase something)
  Example: "The cost of living is increasing."

• Adverb Form: "Costly" does not have a common adverb form, but you can use "at a high cost" in sentences.
  Example: "They achieved their goals, but it came at a high cost."

Different Meanings:

1. Financial Context: Refers to items that are expensive (e.g., a costly car).
2. Emotional/Social Context: Refers to efforts or victories that require significant sacrifice (e.g., a costly battle).

Synonyms:

• Expensive
• High-priced
• Pricey
• Dear (in terms of cost)
• Exorbitant

Idioms:

While there are no direct idioms using "costly," you may encounter phrases like: - "Pay a high price" (meaning to face significant consequences).

Phrasal Verbs:

There are no specific phrasal verbs directly related to "costly," but you can use phrases like: - "Run up a bill" (to accumulate costs).

Summary:

"Costly" is a useful word to describe anything that is expensive in terms of money or effort. You can use it in many contexts, from buying jewelry to discussing sacrifices in life.

Academic

Adjective

1. having a high price
   • costly jewelry
   • high-priced merchandise
   • much too dear for my pocketbook
   • a pricey restaurant
2. entailing great loss or sacrifice
   • a dearly-won victory

Synonyms

• dear
• high-priced
• pricey
• pricy
• dearly-won