pricey

Or pric·y

[prahy-see]

adjective

pricier, priciest 

1. expensive or unduly expensive.

   a pricey wine.

pricey

/ ˈpraɪsɪ /

adjective

1. an informal word for expensive

Other Word Forms

• pricily adverb
• priceyness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of pricey¹

First recorded in 1930–35; price + -y ¹

Example Sentences

Fellow Aiden Coffee Maker – Not everyone has the time, interest, or funds to invest in a pricey espresso maker, even if you do value a quality brew at home.

Read more on Salon

While there, don’t miss the French dip, which, albeit pricey at $34, is an ample, filling sandwich that debuted during last year’s holidays and became so popular with guests it stuck around.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The crown prince’s drive to overhaul the Saudi economy and pivot away from oil is proving pricey.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Splits often come in bull markets, when stock prices can gain and become pricey.

Read more on Barron's

They also argued that hybrids would fight global warming better than EVs, which have high-tech batteries that require large amounts of lithium and often pricey, rare-earth metals.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• arbitrary 
• excessive 
• exorbitant 
• extreme 
• illegitimate 
• improper 
• inordinate 
• senseless 
• unconscionable 
• undue 
• unfair 
• unjust 
• unjustifiable 
• unlawful 
• unwarranted 
• wrongful 

When To Use

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.