World Languages Lexicon
10 Language-to-English DictionariesCostly
/ˈkɒst.li/Comprehensive Definitions & Senses
2 senses- 1
Involving a high cost; expensive.
"The repairs to the old building were costly, exceeding the initial budget." - 2
Entailing significant loss or sacrifice.
"The decision to expand the business proved to be costly in terms of time and resources."
Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology
The word 'costly' originates from the Middle English term 'costli', which is derived from the Old Norse 'kostnaðr', meaning 'cost'. The evolution of the term reflects a shift from a focus on monetary value to a broader implication of high expense or significant sacrifice.
Which of the following is the closest synonym for "Costly"?
10 Global Lexicons: How "Costly" is said worldwide
Click any language below to open its dedicated Language to English dictionary page with native script & transliteration
Coûteux
Transliteration: koo-tuh
"Les réparations étaient coûteuses."
Kostspielig
Transliteration: kost-shpee-lig
"Die Reparaturen waren kostspielig."
Costoso
Transliteration: cos-to-so
"Le riparazioni erano costose."
Costoso
Transliteration: cos-to-so
"Las reparaciones fueron costosas."
Caro
Transliteration: ka-roo
"Os reparos foram caros."
महंगा
Transliteration: mahangā
"मरम्मत महंगी थी।"
昂贵
Transliteration: ángguì
"修理费用昂贵。"
비싼
Transliteration: bissan
"수리 비용이 비쌌습니다."
高価な
Transliteration: kōka na
"修理は高価でした。"
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