pay dearly
Regret it badly
To pay dearly is to suffer serious consequences or make significant sacrifices for something.
The phrase implies a cost beyond money—pain, loss, or regret: He paid dearly for his arrogance, She paid dearly for trusting the wrong people.
When literal payment is meant, dearly emphasizes excessive expense: We paid dearly for those concert tickets.
- costlyHigh in price
- priceyCosting a lot
- expensiveCosting much money
- exorbitantUnreasonably high, as costs
- steepRising at sharp angle
heavy price · karma · atonement · comeuppance · come back to haunt · learn the hard way · suffer the consequences · regret · remorse · anguish · suffering · sorrow · extravagant · debt · injury · bankruptcy · fine · bitter pill
pay dearlyget off easy
get away with it · get off lightly · skate by · walk free · slip through the cracks
pay dearlymake a killing
Achieve enormous financial success
strike gold · hit the jackpot · make out like a bandit · cash in · win big
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