pricey
Americanadjective
-
pricier,
comparative
-
priciest
superlative
adjective
Usage
What does pricey mean? Pricey describes something that is expensive or unreasonably expensive, as in Talya wanted to go on the world cruise, but the tickets were so pricey. Pricey is a highly subjective description, because everyone’s budget is different and everyone’s opinion about what an acceptable price is for a product or service varies. You’ll use pricey most often when you think the cost of something is much higher than you want to pay, whether or not a majority of people think that same item is pricey. You might also use pricey to describe something that is more expensive than others like it but that provides a higher value or quality in return. In this case, pricey would be an acceptable quality. Example: The hotel was a bit pricey, but we had a good time.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of pricey
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"It is quite difficult because it's so pricey to get all the healthy stuff, whereas the cheap stuff - the junk food - is just cheap, so it's easier to buy that."
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
Chief Executive David Zaslav opted not to renew the pricey basketball contract as Warner has been straining to pay down debt brought on by its last merger in 2022.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
Hedging has been unusually pricey for individual stocks and sectors, but cheap for the overall market.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026
Get ready for his return with, courtesy of my colleagues, some good advice on potato salad, parenting, and pricey underwear.
From Slate ● Aug. 4, 2026
Filled with pricey dolls in fancy costumes, it didn’t look like the headquarters of a spy ring.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
But Reformation’s dresses are pricier, ranging from $98 to $898.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
Counterpoint expects the trend toward pricier devices to continue as the industry favors profit over shipment volume.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
If he was to irrigate all his crops to keep them alive, the costs would be so high his cauliflowers, spuds and carrots would be far pricier than supermarket alternatives.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
US President Donald Trump is under pressure to respond to the increasing success of Chinese AI models that many companies prefer to the more powerful, but pricier, US versions from Anthropic or OpenAI.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
A Points Guy analysis last year also found that economy fares on several credit-card travel portals were often pricier than booking direct.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
The priciest options are designed especially for athletes, and Dos Santos -- who himself lost two legs in a car accident -- has visited this cohort following the quakes.
From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026
“Those markets are already among the priciest in Southern California and I can only imagine that will continue with this new wealth creation.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026
The ruling is a setback for tenant advocates who wanted limits on rent increases in one of the nation’s priciest states.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 24, 2026
These aren’t the priciest items, but they can add up.
From MarketWatch ● May 19, 2026
Then she mutters, “The priciest priceless little Penny ever.”
From "They Both Die at the End" by Adam Silvera
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
