cost dear
verb1
To be expensive.
- Those extra nights tacked onto his hotel stay will cost him dear.
- It will cost him dear to tack additional nights onto his hotel stay.
2
Broadly To cause a lot of pain or suffering.
- His intransigence will cost him dear in the end.
- It will cost him dear to be so intransigent for so long.
- Related terms
- opportunity cost, sticker shock