sticker shock

noun

Definition of sticker shock

: astonishment and dismay experienced on being informed of a product's unexpectedly high price

Examples of sticker shock in a Sentence

We left the store suffering severe sticker shock.

Recent Examples on the Web

These self-install kits get you a custom-quality van without the sticker shock. — Megan Barber, Curbed, "Why I love having a microwave in my camper van," 20 Dec. 2018 Variations of this gilt pleasure teem in vintage stores like The Apartment, and for less sticker shock, CB2 gives us a modern iteration of the famous fixture. — Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, "Is This the Original SAD Lamp? The Best Tropical Light Fixtures to Ward Off Seasonal Blues," 12 Oct. 2018 Beer is already expensive in Australia and Japan, for instance, so beer drinkers there wouldn't feel the brunt of the sticker shock quite so much as other regions, like Belgium, Germany, or the Czech Republic. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "Barley shortages from climate change could mean less beer worldwide," 15 Oct. 2018 Competitive startup clinics like Extend Fertility, Ova, and Kindbody are tackling the sticker shock, shaving off a not-negligible few grand. — Laura Regensdorf, Vogue, "At 35, I Went to a Millennial Egg-Freezing Clinic—and Now I’m Rethinking My Future," 12 Nov. 2018 Student loan debt is a ball and chain for many borrowers, who experience sticker shock when the bills begin to arrive. — Elizabeth Llorente, Fox News, "Students, families struggle to repay billions in crushing loan debts," 6 Sep. 2018 Brace yourself for some sticker shock: This placeis asking $1.5 million. — Taylor Murphy, House Beautiful, "This Is Not Your Average Mobile Home," 8 Sep. 2015 But for food-loving travelers who love to eat out, there’s the inevitable sticker shock. — Mary Winston Nicklin, USA TODAY, "10 tastes of Paris for less than $10," 18 May 2018 Anyone planning to go new-car shopping for the first time in a while might want to prepare themselves for sticker shock. — USA TODAY, "New-car shoppers: Brace yourselves for higher costs, longer loans," 19 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sticker shock.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.