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expensive Definition

ex·pen·sive (ek spen′siv, ik-)

adjective

requiring or involving much expense; high-priced; dear

expensive Related Forms
ex·pen′·sively adverb ex·pen′·sive·ness noun
expensive Synonyms

expensive

modif.

costly, high-priced, dear, precious, valuable, invaluable, rare, prized, choice, rich, priceless, high, too high, overpriced, uneconomical, unreasonable, exorbitant, extortionate, fancy, extravagant, upscale, up-market, deluxe, beyond one's means, at a premium, at great cost, worth a king's ransom*, worth a pretty penny*, sky-high*, steep*, stiff*, big-ticket*, pricey*, out of sight*.

Antonyms inexpensive, cheap*, low.

expensive implies having a price that is high in relation to others of its kind or that is in excess of the thing's worth or the purchaser's ability to pay an expensive car; costly refers to something high in price and usually implies richness, magnificence, rareness, etc. costly gems: it is often applied to that which it would cost much in money or effort to correct or replace a costly error; dear, less often used today in the U.S., implies an exorbitant price or one considerably beyond the normal or fair price meat was very dear at the time; valuable, in this connection, implies such great value as to bring a high price a valuable collection; invaluable suggests value so great that it cannot be appraised in monetary terms invaluable aid

expensive Usage Examples

Modifying Another Word

  • prohibitively: Other types of CD printers can be prohibitively expensive.
  • too: Four people sharing a hire car wouldn't be too expensive either.

Infinitive complement

  • administer: The Council Tax is also extraordinarily expensive to administer.
  • ensure: A number of pedigree dogs are also more expensive to ensure, .
  • buy: There are no anti-retrovirals at the clinic, they are just too expensive to buy.
  • maintain: Whatever you think Alan, a " real " piano is much more expensive to maintain.
  • install: Cooling systems are expensive to install, maintain and run, and in context of climatic change, their emissions are not environmentally friendly.
  • implement: Worse, legislation governing surveillance differs from country to country, making policies complex and expensive to implement.

Modifies a noun

  • mistake: We should not repeat the expensive mistakes made in 1999 over Kosovo.
  • equipment: Expensive test equipment is NOT required, set up is a simple task using the LED's on the front panel.
  • litigation: There will inevitably be considerable expensive litigation on this subject, tying up local authority legal departments, and using up resources.
  • item: Expensive items of jewelry should be left at home.
  • luxury: On the contrary, wings, and especially the massive breast muscles needed to power them, are an expensive luxury.
  • option: They also show that choosing fairtrade diamonds doesn't have to be a more expensive option either.

Used with adjective complement

  • prove: However this service can prove expensive in the long term.
  • seem: Seemed expensive - but hassle-free - they came when they said.
  • become: In fact, it reputedly became even more expensive than an entirely new serial.
  • deem: During periods of high prices, some forms of cover may be unavailable, or it may be deemed too expensive by the insured.
  • isnít: The best thing about Health and safety consultant is that it isnít expensive to rent.

Preposition: in

  • comparison: That a realistic charge for single MP3 files would make the music outrageously expensive in comparison with our CD publications.
expensive Quotes

Electricity is of two kinds, positive and negative. The difference is, I presume, that one comes a little more expensive, but is more durable; the other is a cheaper thing, but the moths get into it.

—Leacock, Stephen Butler

Anyone who has ever struggled with poverty knows how extremely expensive it is to be poor.

—Baldwin,James Arthur

Les te¤  moins sont fort chers, et n'en a pas qui veut. Witnesses are expensive and not everyone can afford them.

—Racine,Jean