expensive

adjective ex·pen·sive \ ik-ˈspen(t)-siv \

Updated on: 10 Dec 2017

Definition of expensive

1 : involving high cost or sacrifice

an expensive hobby

2 a : commanding a high price and especially one that is not based on intrinsic worth or is beyond a prospective buyer's means

b : characterized by high prices

expensive shops

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expensively

adverb

—

expensiveness

noun

See expensive defined for English-language learners

See expensive defined for kids

Examples of expensive in a Sentence

The lights were expensive to install.
expensive clothing that only the truly wealthy can afford

Recent Examples of expensive from the Web

Here's our solution to expensive salon blowouts: the Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer ($399; sephora.com).

— CNN Underscored, "Trade pricey salon blowouts for this award-winning hair dryer," 1 Nov. 2017
Exxon boosted capital and exploration spending by 43 percent to nearly $6 billion as projects that were too expensive to be profitable last year became lucrative amid higher oil prices.

— collin eaton, Houston Chronicle, "Exxon Mobil profits surge despite blow from Harvey," 27 Oct. 2017
Here are a few potential stumbling blocks for a stock market that’s more than tripled since its 2009 bottom in the Great Recession, including a surge of 20% over the last 12 months: Stocks are expensive.

— stan choe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Straight up: Have we seen this stock market story before?," 21 Oct. 2017
Luckily, there are colored contacts for pretty much everyone, though some types, such as those for astigmatism, might be more expensive. 7.

— elizabeth denton, Seventeen, "7 Things You Need To Know Before Trying Colored Contacts," 16 Oct. 2017
Flying during the holidays is expensive for a reason: Everyone is doing it.

— katherine lagrave, CNT, "The Cheapest Days to Fly Around Christmas 2017," 10 Oct. 2017
The team could decide Iglesias is too expensive for his production and opt for Dixon Machado at shortstop.

— anthony fenech, Detroit Free Press, "Breaking down the Detroit Tigers' arbitration-eligible players," 9 Oct. 2017
Ironically, none of the companies produce true holograms — that would be far too expensive.

— gerrick d. kennedy, latimes.com, "Meet the man determined to make celebrity holograms a major Hollywood draw," 9 Oct. 2017
Wallace McMullin, a Louisville solar advocate, said the way LG&E runs the program is too expensive.

— james bruggers, The Courier-Journal, "LG&E wins 'eyesore' solar fight in Simpsonville - for now, anyway," 29 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'expensive.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of expensive

circa 1610

expensive Synonyms

Synonyms

big-ticket, dear, costly, extravagant, high, high-end, high-ticket, precious, premium, priceless, pricey (also pricy), spendy [chiefly Northwest], ultraexpensive, valuable

Antonyms

cheap, inexpensive

Related Words

exorbitant, overpriced, prohibitive, sky-high, steep, stiff, unaffordable, uneconomic (or uneconomical), unreasonable; inestimable, invaluable; deluxe, luxurious, sumptuous

Near Antonyms

moderate, reasonable; valueless, worthless; discounted

Other Economics Terms

actuary, compound interest, globalization, indemnity, portfolio, rentier, stagflation, usurer

EXPENSIVE Defined for English Language Learners

expensive

adjective

Definition of expensive for English Language Learners

: costing a lot of money

EXPENSIVE Defined for Kids

expensive

adjective ex·pen·sive \ ik-ˈspen-siv \

Definition of expensive for Students

: costly 1

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See words that rhyme with expensive Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for expensive Spanish Central: Translation of expensive Nglish: Translation of expensive for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of expensive for Arabic speakers

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expensively

expensiveness

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Examples of expensive in a Sentence

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First Known Use of expensive

expensive Synonyms

Synonyms

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Related Words

Near Antonyms

Other Economics Terms

EXPENSIVE Defined for English Language Learners

expensive

Definition of expensive for English Language Learners

EXPENSIVE Defined for Kids

expensive

Definition of expensive for Students

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