Costliest: meaning, definitions and examples

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costliest

 

[ ˈkɔːstlɪst ]

Adjective
Context #1 | Adjective

financial context

The term 'costliest' describes something that is the most expensive in terms of monetary value. It indicates that among various options or items, this one requires the highest expenditure.

Synonyms

dearest, highest-priced, most expensive, priciest

Examples of usage

  • The costliest item on the menu was the lobster.
  • Owning a luxury car can be the costliest decision for some.
  • This is the costliest vacation I have ever taken.
  • Investing in real estate can sometimes lead to the costliest mistakes.

Translations

Translations of the word "costliest" in other languages:

🇵🇹 mais caro

🇮🇳 सबसे महंगा

🇩🇪 teuerste

🇮🇩 termahal

🇺🇦 найдорожчий

🇵🇱 najdroższy

🇯🇵 最も高価な

🇫🇷 le plus cher

🇪🇸 el más caro

🇹🇷 en pahalı

🇰🇷 가장 비싼

🇸🇦 الأكثر تكلفة

🇨🇿 nejdražší

🇸🇰 najdrahší

🇨🇳 最昂贵的

🇸🇮 najdražji

🇮🇸 dýrustu

🇰🇿 ең қымбат

🇬🇪 ყველაზე ძვირი

🇦🇿 ən bahalı

🇲🇽 el más caro

Word origin

The word 'costly' dates back to the late Middle English period, deriving from the Old French word 'cousteux' or 'coustier', which means 'to cost'. This, in turn, comes from the Latin 'costa', meaning 'rib' or 'side', but it evolved to refer to the price or value of something over time. The superlative form 'costliest' emerged in the 15th century, following the pattern of adding '-ly' to adjectives in English to denote the highest degree of that quality. This linguistic formation reflects a trend in English to create comparative and superlative forms by modifying the root word, making 'costliest' an integral part of the English lexicon, particularly in discussions about economics, shopping, and value assessments.

Word Frequency Rank

This word's position of #32,497 indicates it's among the more rare English words. While understanding it broadens your vocabulary, focus on more common words first.