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

• 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

While falling interest rates and easing inflation may suggest that demand for home improvement products could revive, a June report by J.P. Morgan Asia Pacific Equity Research cautions that consumer confidence about splurging on big-ticket items could take a while to return. —Jessica Tan, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2025

McKinsey & Company estimates that investing in treatments for endometriosis, for example, has a market potential of $180 billion to $250 billion, comparable to the market for big-ticket conditions like diabetes. —Anita Zaidi, Fortune, 4 Aug. 2025

Its economic relations with China and security ties to Russia have not stopped it from purchasing big-ticket items of military hardware from the United States. —Amira El-Fekki‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 July 2025

After Wilkins only appeared in five games due to a foot injury in 2024, the former big-ticket free agent defender was expected to be ready for training camp in 2025. —James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1933, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for big-ticket

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