highly costly

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "highly costly" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe something that is very expensive or requires a great deal of money to obtain, for example: The renovations required for this house would be highly costly.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Encyclopedias

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

41 human-written examples

But over the long run, the new savings accounts could be highly costly.

The New York Times

Shoesmith said this should be considered, but would be highly costly.

The Guardian

The legacy of Blair's 2003 surge has been a highly costly one, as the Palestine Papers well illustrate.

The Guardian - Opinion

While thousands rallied in support of Saakashvili yesterday outside the parliament in Tbilisi, there was a growing sense among many Georgians that his decision to attack had been a disastrous blunder - with Russia's overwhelming response both predictable and highly costly.

The Guardian

Extending the scheme to higher rate taxpayers might push the cost as high as £1bn, wiping out nearly all the savings from withdrawing child benefit and rendering the exercise highly costly in political terms for no financial reward.

The Guardian

For the U.S., wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Vietnam and Korea, have been highly costly, drawn out and largely unsuccessful campaigns, unable to achieve even the most watered-down of the original aims.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

17 human-written examples

While the word 'innovation' often brings to mind highly complex and extremely costly technological advancements, 'innovation' in this context is not defined as highly complex technological advancements but encompasses also solutions that make use of cheap and readily available resources that are contextually relevant in the respective setting.

Global Health Action

"People in residential care are more likely to have highly specialised, costly transport needs," she says.

The Guardian

This is especially so in non-specific health conditions that are highly prevalent, costly and have a high burden of disease.

BMC Medical Research Methodology

We chose a diabetic cohort because diabetes is a highly prevalent, costly chronic condition and there are several diabetes-specific measures (17– 17).

Diabetes Care

Some 10,000 schools and 450 rural health centres were damaged by the floods and large scale damage was done to infrastructure, making distribution of supplies and reaching mobile populations a highly complex, costly and time-consuming operation.

Unicef

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "highly costly", consider the specific aspect of cost you want to emphasize. Is it the financial burden, the resources required, or the long-term implications? Choose synonyms that reflect the nuance you intend.

Common error

Avoid restricting "highly costly" only to financial contexts. While it often implies monetary expense, remember it can also refer to other resources like time, effort, or even political capital. Be aware of the breadth of potential applications.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "highly costly" functions as an adjective phrase modifying a noun. It describes something as being very expensive or involving significant expenditure, aligning with Ludwig AI's assessment.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

34%

News & Media

34%

Formal & Business

7%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

2%

Wiki

2%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "highly costly" is a grammatically sound and commonly used adjective phrase that denotes something is very expensive. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's appropriate for various contexts, from news and media to scientific and formal business writing. While synonyms like "extremely expensive" or "prohibitively priced" offer nuanced alternatives, "highly costly" remains a versatile choice. Remember to consider the specific aspect of cost you wish to highlight and avoid restricting its usage solely to financial contexts. Its frequent presence in reputable sources underscores its reliability and widespread acceptance.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Extremely expensive

Focuses on the degree of expensiveness, intensifying the cost factor.

Prohibitively priced

Highlights the cost as a barrier, making something unaffordable.

Inordinately high priced

Emphasizes that the price exceeds normal or reasonable limits.

Excessively priced

Highlights that pricing is beyond acceptable limits.

Financially burdensome

Shifts the focus to the impact on financial resources, emphasizing the strain.

Cripplingly expensive

Indicates that the cost is so high it severely hinders or damages something.

Considerably expensive

Underlines a large extent of expensiveness.

Outrageously expensive

Highlights the cost as shockingly or unacceptably high.

Astronomically priced

Uses a hyperbolic comparison, suggesting extremely high prices.

Unjustifiably expensive

Highlights the price as lacking reasonable justification.

FAQs

How can I use "highly costly" in a sentence?

You can use "highly costly" to describe anything that is very expensive, such as "The new medical treatment proved to be "highly costly" for the hospital."

What are some alternatives to "highly costly"?

Some alternatives to "highly costly" include "extremely expensive", "prohibitively priced", or "financially burdensome".

When is it appropriate to use "highly costly" instead of "expensive"?

"Highly costly" emphasizes a greater degree of expense compared to simply "expensive". Use "highly costly" when the expense is particularly significant or impactful.

Is "highly costly" a formal or informal expression?

"Highly costly" is suitable for both formal and informal contexts. However, in very formal writing, consider alternatives like "inordinately high priced" for a more sophisticated tone.