expensive

/ɪkˈspɛnsɪv/

Say it: ik-SPEN-siv

1. adjective Costing a lot of money.
A week at that luxury resort is incredibly expensive.
2. adjective Incurring a high non-monetary cost, such as effort, resources, or negative consequences.
It was an expensive victory, with many lives lost.

📖 Seen in the wild

Owning a vintage car can be an expensive hobby due to maintenance and insurance costs.
collected by @vocablast

✏️ expensive in a sentence

The company decided the new software was too expensive to implement across all departments.
Living in the city center has become prohibitively expensive for young families.
Wow, that watch looks expensive. Was it a gift?
His expensive education had not, it seemed, furnished him with common sense.
Maintaining a vintage car can be an expensive hobby.
That was an expensive lesson to learn; I'll never invest without doing my research again.

🔁 Synonyms & antonyms

costly pricey high-priced exorbitant premium upscale lavish dear

costly · often implies a significant loss or sacrifice beyond just money

pricey · a more informal or conversational term

high-priced · a straightforward and neutral alternative

exorbitant · suggests a price that is unreasonably or excessively high

Opposites: inexpensive, cheap, affordable, economical, budget

🌱 Where it comes from

The word expensive comes from the Latin 'expendere', meaning 'to weigh out' or 'pay out'. This verb is formed from 'ex-' (out) and 'pendere' (to weigh), reflecting the ancient practice of weighing precious metals to pay for goods. Over time, the idea of a large 'payout' evolved into our modern sense of something having a high cost.

🧩 How it's used

Common patterns:

prohibitively expensiveridiculously expensiveexpensive tasteexpensive mistakesurprisingly expensive

'Expensive' is a standard, neutral word suitable for any context. While it simply means high-priced, it can carry a slightly negative connotation, suggesting something might be overpriced. For a more positive spin on a high-cost item of good quality, you might choose 'premium' or 'high-end'. Be careful not to confuse it with 'expansive,' which means covering a wide area or broad in scope.

Word family: expense, expensively, expensiveness

💬 Quick answers

What does expensive mean?

Expensive primarily means that something costs a lot of money. It can also refer to something that requires a great deal of effort or results in a significant loss.

What's the difference between 'expensive' and 'costly'?

While both mean high-priced, 'costly' often carries a stronger sense of loss or negative consequences. A 'costly mistake' might not involve money, whereas an 'expensive mistake' usually implies a financial loss.

Is 'pricey' the same as 'expensive'?

'Pricey' is a more informal or conversational synonym for 'expensive'. You might tell a friend an item is 'pricey', but use 'expensive' in a formal business report.

What is the opposite of expensive?

The most direct antonyms are 'inexpensive' and 'cheap'. 'Inexpensive' is a neutral term, while 'cheap' can sometimes imply poor quality in addition to a low price.

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