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Synonyms

big-ticket

American  
[big-tik-it] / ˈbɪgˈtɪk ɪt /

adjective

  1. costing a great deal; expensive.

    fur coats and other big-ticket items.
big-ticket British  

adjective

  1. (prenominal) (of retail goods) belonging to the most expensive and prestigious class

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of big-ticket

First recorded in 1940–45

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.

In investor terms, it looks a lot more attractive than hoping for a rebound in discretionary big-ticket spending tied to the property market.

From Barron's • Apr. 11, 2026

Other potential big-ticket items include the jet-engine-size gas turbines used to drive the LNG trains’ compressors.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

But there are big-ticket items on the agenda before then.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

Softer appetite for big-ticket purchases affects commodity demand.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 26, 2026

Foster parent groups provided some of the basics, and our sponsors bought the big-ticket items.

From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter

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.