big-ticket

adjective

big-tick·​et ˈbig-ˈti-kət 

1

: having a high price

the car was a big-ticket item

2

: having great importance or prominence : major

The founders had hoped to address three big-ticket issues: the environment, nuclear weapons, and Middle East peace.

—David Corn

Synonyms

• costly
• dear
• expensive
• extravagant
• high
• high-end
• high-ticket
• precious
• premium
• priceless
• pricey
• pricy
• spendy [chiefly Northwest]
• ultraexpensive
• valuable

Examples of big-ticket in a Sentence

with the tough economy, fewer people are likely to be making big-ticket purchases

Recent Examples on the Web

They are accused of taking part in a $250 million fraud scheme through the Minnesota nonprofit Feeding Our Future that allegedly exploited funds from a federal child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic to purchase big-ticket items like luxury cars and houses. —Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 4 June 2024

That includes comedians, musical performances and an auction for big-ticket prizes. —Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 31 May 2024

But prices for everything from household staples at the grocery store to big-ticket items like homes remain prohibitively high, which has frustrated consumers to no end. —Bypaolo Confino, Fortune, 30 May 2024

Big Slick veterans also have come to expect big-ticket auction items to bid on, and Big Slick organizers have definitely upped the ante this year. —Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 29 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1933, in the meaning defined at sense 1