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
The billionaire now owns three pricey homes on Indian Creek Island—the third, he picked up for a reported $90 million in 2024.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026
In the portrait, Lobga sits a few blocks from the U.N. on the red-carpet steps of a pricey Manhattan restaurant and is seemingly drawing attention to the sizable Tibet independence tattoo on his right arm.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
Catalina residents’ day-to-day lives would also be impacted, as they would have to purchase pricey ferry tickets and travel to the mainland for even basic medical care.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
“Third do-over will be the charm. Nothing too pricey next time, okay?”
From "What If It's Us" by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera
Bloomin’ Brands raised its adjusted earnings outlook, as customers at its Outback Steakhouse chain are paying more for pricier steaks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
The company said strong demand for pricier high-bandwidth-memory chips and other AI memory products resulted in the solid quarterly performance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 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
Without that option, the lawsuit argues that theaters and TV networks will face higher fees – costs that will eventually hit consumers through pricier tickets, high cable bills, and fewer choices.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
Automakers tend to put the techiest features in their priciest models, but buyers of those cars skew older and may be more likely to reject new technology, he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 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
These aren’t the priciest items, but they can add up.
From MarketWatch ● May 19, 2026
When the singer and her fiancé bought the home, it marked one of the priciest sales in the area in 2024.
From MarketWatch ● May 18, 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.
