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

Many of the big-ticket lots being offered are by historical, blue-chip artists whose careers were firmly established in the 20th century, from Kandinsky and Monet to Warhol and Basquiat, as opposed to living contemporary artists. — Daniel Cassady For Artnews, Robb Report, 4 Nov. 2026

Nevertheless, the full-year forecast for both UFC, WWE and IMG, which includes the On Location premium events business, which also had a strong quarter thanks to the influx of big-ticket events around the World Cup. — Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 4 Nov. 2026

Another big-ticket item, Proposition 45, was opposed by a small margin of voters but still too close to call. — Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026

While there won’t be a big-ticket election for mayor or Congress or anything of the sort, there’ll be a municipal election for judges and three DAs, and the nonpartisan election question can also go on that ballot. — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 2 Nov. 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