expensive

adjective

ik-ˈspen(t)-siv How to pronounce expensive (audio)
Definition of expensivenext
as in costly
commanding a large price expensive clothing that only the truly wealthy can afford

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of expensive The fight over a proposal to tax the assets of California billionaires to fund healthcare is getting more expensive. — Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026 Borrowing money itself is getting more expensive too, from the interest rate you’re charged to the fees baked into the process. — Sharon Wu, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2026 That means workers who have faced discrimination would need to pursue expensive litigation. — Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 12 Aug. 2026 Supplies are also getting more expensive, according to a report from The Century Foundation. — Ashley Portillo, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for expensive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expensive
  1. costly
  2. valuable
  3. premium
  4. precious
  5. extravagant
Adjective
  • Fairview’s board thought hard before committing to such a costly venture, but had a dream, said Edie Kalin, president of the Odd Fellows Home of CT.
    — Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Prematurely extending the life of costly fossil fuel power generation in response to rising costs in a market undergoing reforms may straddle Illinois customers with more costs than otherwise necessary.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of costly
Adjective
  • As luxury becomes both more ubiquitous and more expensive, being desirable without being everywhere could prove a valuable position to hold.
    — Kate Hardcastle, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026
  • To further complicate things, baseball is heading toward a labor fight in which owners are aiming to swap short-term financial pain for cost caps that would make every team more valuable.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of valuable
Adjective
  • That is particularly valuable across Asia-Pacific and the Middle East, where travel retail remains an important shop window for premium international brands.
    — Kate Hardcastle, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026
  • While there is a free version of the app that lets users organize their accounts and track spending, the subscription cancellation feature is part of the premium version.
    — Kelsey Neubauer, CNBC, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of premium
Adjective
  • Searching for an affordable alternative, Azature ran a simple search for black precious stones.
    — Stephan Rabimov, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • For centuries, India’s rulers treasured these precious stones, decorating their palaces, thrones, and crowns with them, and wearing them in lavish displays of wealth and opulence.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of precious
Adjective
  • Arendt comes most fully alive, though, when Meyer lets her own extravagant, commanding voice carry the story forward.
    — David Denby, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Ric Flair is known for his flamboyant promos and extravagant pro wrestling career that included several world championship runs across multiple promotions at his peak.
    — Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of extravagant

Browse Nearby Words

expenses
expensive
expensively
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Expensive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expensive. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on expensive

Nglish: Translation of expensive for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of zeugma

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All