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pricey

or pric·y

[ prahy-see ]
/ ˈpraɪ si /
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See synonyms for pricey on Thesaurus.com
adjective, pric·i·er, pric·i·est.
expensive or unduly expensive: a pricey wine.
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Origin of pricey

First recorded in 1930–35; price + -y1

OTHER WORDS FROM pricey

pric·i·ly, adverbpric·ey·ness, noun

Words nearby pricey

prices and incomes policy, price-sensitive, price support, price tag, price war, pricey, Prichard, prick, prick-eared, pricker, pricket
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

MORE ABOUT PRICEY

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.

Where does pricey come from?

The first records of the term pricey are from around the 1930s. It combines the term price, meaning “the amount something is bought for,” and the suffix -y, which creates adjectives meaning “characterized by or inclined to.”

Pricey is always used informally but is sometimes used in reviews or journalism. When critics review a place or product, they may consider the cost of the item as part of the review and may use pricey to describe something they think is overpriced. Pricey is also frequently used to describe neighborhoods and cities that have an above-average property value or rental cost.

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What are some other forms related to pricey?

  • pricier (adjective)
  • priciest (adjective)
  • pricily (adverb)
  • priceyness (noun)

What are some synonyms for pricey?

What are some words that share a root or word element with pricey? 

What are some words that often get used in discussing pricey?

How is pricey used in real life?

Pricey is most frequently used as a negative feature.

 

 

Try using pricey!

Which of the following is NOT a synonym for pricey?

A. expensive
B. exorbitant
C. budgeted
D. costly

Words related to pricey

valuable, enormous, inordinate, outrageous, steep, unconscionable, unreasonable, unwarranted, costly, extravagant, fancy, high, lavish, overpriced, upscale, expensive, arbitrary, excessive, exorbitant, extreme

How to use pricey in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pricey

pricey

pricy

/ (ˈpraɪsɪ) /
adjective pricier or priciest
an informal word for expensive
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
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