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:
But is that pricey max strength flu remedy really any better than a basic box of painkillers?
From BBC ● Nov. 12, 2026
It’s all stilettos and tuxes and gowns and pricey surgery and shiny tuxedo loafers in there, and in the White House.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
While the two businesses had complementary assets, Uniphase prohibitively overpaid for JDS Fitel, financing the deal with its own pricey stock before going on to make other expensive acquisitions in the same manner.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 2, 2026
When I was a young whippersnapper, I would stupidly ski the entire day because I wanted to get my money’s worth for the pricey lift tickets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
Zane batted at her wildly until she skittered down his neck, across his chest, and buried herself inside the suitcase of loot, where she promptly became entangled in the pricey headphones.
From "A Tangle of Knots" by Lisa Graff
The company subsequently offered it to subscribers of its pricier AI plans.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 12, 2026
Gregory Daco, chief economist at EY-Parthenon, said spending by consumers was still high, but "they are increasingly stretching their budgets to afford pricier goods and services."
From Barron's ● Oct. 29, 2026
While Austin is one of the more expensive cities in Texas, its cost of living is relatively moderate compared with pricier cities on the East and West coasts.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026
It can also make them pricier to run.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
On Reddit, citizen sleuths have another theory for headphones’ disappearance: Apple’s decision in 2020 to stop including free headphones with new phones—as well as the move toward AirPods, which are pricier.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
She always ordered the priciest thing on the menu and bought gift cards when the men gave her money for groceries in case the relationship did not work out.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
The city’s priciest neighborhoods become particularly clogged each summer as drivers escaping the Gulf’s scorching heat arrive with Ferraris, Lamborghinis and McLarens bearing Middle East license plates.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 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
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
Once a lonely outpost, Sing Sing now occupies fifty-five acres of prime real estate in suburban Westchester, one of the priciest counties in the United States.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
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