expensive
adjective
ex·pen·sive
ik-ˈspen(t)-siv 
1
: involving high cost or sacrifice
an expensive hobby
2
a
: commanding a high price and especially one that is not based on intrinsic worth or is beyond a prospective buyer's means
b
: characterized by high prices
expensive shops
expensively
adverb
expensiveness
noun
Examples of expensive in a Sentence
The lights were expensive to install.
expensive clothing that only the truly wealthy can afford
Recent Examples on the Web
Surely, Little Lake Lodge in Aspen, currently the most expensive home on the market in America, wouldn’t have any shame holes—not at $300 million.
—
David Hochman, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
The top providers are ranked here by starting price, from cheapest to most expensive.
—Roxanne Downer, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2025
The most expensive wall outlets will cost over $30 and be the most durable of the bunch, including the most intricate additional features, like higher power surging capabilities and more than one other peripheral port.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2025
This is because there simply aren’t enough hours in the day to forage and digest raw foods sufficient to support brains as energetically expensive as our own, contra many a modern paleo-diet guru.
—Peter Brannen, Big Think, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for expensive
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David Hochman, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
The top providers are ranked here by starting price, from cheapest to most expensive.
—Roxanne Downer, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2025
The most expensive wall outlets will cost over $30 and be the most durable of the bunch, including the most intricate additional features, like higher power surging capabilities and more than one other peripheral port.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2025
This is because there simply aren’t enough hours in the day to forage and digest raw foods sufficient to support brains as energetically expensive as our own, contra many a modern paleo-diet guru.
—Peter Brannen, Big Think, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for expensive
Cite this Entry
“Expensive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/expensive. Accessed 6 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
expensive
adjective
ex·pen·sive
ik-ˈspen(t)-siv
1
: costly sense 2
an expensive hobby
2
a
: having a high price
expensive gifts
b
: marked by high prices
expensive shops
expensively
adverb
expensiveness
noun
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