costoso

Costoso is an adjective used in Spanish and Italian to indicate that something involves a high price or consumes substantial resources. In English, it is commonly translated as expensive or costly. The term appears in contexts ranging from everyday purchases to discussions of finance or project planning.

In Spanish, costoso agrees in gender and number: masculine singular costoso, feminine singular costosa; masculine plural costosos, feminine plural costosas. In Italian, costoso likewise agrees: costoso, costosa; costosi, costose. Both languages use costoso to describe objects, services, or undertakings that require a large expenditure. The phrase un costo elevado or un prezzo alto can also be used in Spanish, while Italian often prefers un costo elevato or un prezzo alto as alternatives.

Common usages include: una casa costosa, un viaggio costoso, un progetto costoso da mantenere. The term can also apply to non-monetary costs, such as time or effort: un proceso costoso en términos de tiempo (Spanish) or un processo costoso in termini di tempo (Italian).

Synonyms and related terms vary by language. In Spanish, caro and oneroso are closely related, with oneroso often carrying a formal or technical nuance. In Italian, besides costoso, one may use caro or oneroso in more specialized contexts. Antonyms include barato, económico, and accessibile.

Etymology is shared by Spanish and Italian, with costoso deriving from a Latin-root concept of cost or expense, reflecting the idea of payment or resource use.