pricey
Americanadjective
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
- priceyness noun
- pricily adverb
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.
The show’s sublime ensemble of his work illustrates how Frank’s clean lines are complemented by pale and pricey finishes of materials like parchment and shagreen.
Despite complaints about gentrification, there is a clear upside to foreign — and Mexican — customers drawn to pricey establishments such as the Green Rhino.
From Los Angeles Times
Job vacancy rates have increased since 2019 at the three facilities examined in the audit, as has the state’s reliance on pricey temporary workers.
From Los Angeles Times
It’s pricey, though King of Prussia’s affluent shoppers might not mind.
From Barron's
Perhaps the biggest risk for stocks is simply that they’re pricey.
From Barron's
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.
