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 of big-ticket

• expensive
• valuable
• costly
• premium

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

Talent will also be on the ground from several big-ticket French series, including cozy crime international hit Bright Minds – aka Astrid et Raphaëlle – which recently triumphed at the French TV Export Awards. —Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 13 Jan. 2026

Kohl, though, is the big-ticket item. —Walter Villa, Miami Herald, 12 Jan. 2026

Pass the big-ticket items and the Republican Party will keep control until the national debt is a bad memory. —Jay Reddick, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Jan. 2026

England’s women don’t have a major tournament this year, and Arsenal women’s campaign isn’t shaping up to be one that will feature lots of big-ticket games. —Nick Miller, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1933, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for big-ticket

• chicot
• cricket
• picket
• picot
• thicket
• ticket
• wicket