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:
Running revenue has grown by double digits for six consecutive quarters, boosted by releases such as Pegasus Premium—a pricey, stylish running shoe—and the company’s engagement with local running groups.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
A date doesn’t have to be pricey to be good.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 25, 2026
Working with a team of pricey, well-connected lobbyists, Navatek would get meetings on Capitol Hill to pitch the research to congressional staff.
From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026
The sector’s valuation also seems pricey compared with peers in Southeast Asia, he adds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
I can understand not being as pricey as Jason or Percy, he’d said, but am I worth, like, two or three Franks?
From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan
It can also make them pricier to run.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
In August, airline fares were up more than 23% from the year prior, according to the U.S. consumer-price index — and flights are expected to keep getting pricier.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
Macy’s is bringing in higher-end brands and pricier items like real fur and leather to appeal to its growing base of wealthy consumers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
Nevertheless, for households in the 21-nation euro area, another hike will still mean pricier mortgages, consumer credit and other loans.
From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026
In Seattle, tech workers said relocating to the pricier San Francisco area would be a lifestyle downgrade.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 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 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
The top 10% of priciest listings in that market start at $750,510, almost half the $1.21 million national entry point.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 1, 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
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.
