Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
×

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

sticker shock

noun

Definition of sticker shock

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

See sticker shock defined for English-language learners

Explore M-W

image2144101468
Better Ways to Say "This Sucks"
alt-594ab41a604d2
Trending: Kim and Kanye Might Have Hired a Surrogate Mother
istock-refers-to-this-as-a-tumble-of-strawberries-which-sounded-pretty-nice-to-us
June 2017 Words of the Day Quiz
alt-5931949575ca5
'All the Feels,' All the Time

Examples of sticker shock in a Sentence

  1. We left the store suffering severe sticker shock.

1981

First Known Use of sticker shock

1981

STICKER SHOCK Defined for English Language Learners

sticker shock

noun

Definition of sticker shock for English Language Learners

  • : a feeling of surprise and disappointment caused by learning that something you want to buy is very expensive

Learn More about sticker shock

  1. See words that rhyme with sticker shock

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up sticker shock? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

bilious

play

of or relating to bile

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. surrogate mother From TMZ to the dictionary.

  2. zealot A fanatical partisan

  3. stonewall to be uncooperative, obstructive, or evasive

  4. scurrilous Containing obscenities, abuse, or slander

  5. depose That word might not mean what you think it means.

SEE ALL

BROWSE DICTIONARY

sticker shock

WORD GAMES

Take a 3-minute break and test your skills!

  • istock-refers-to-this-as-a-tumble-of-strawberries-which-sounded-pretty-nice-to-us
  • Which is a synonym of garner?
Name That Thing

Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!

TAKE THE QUIZ
Citation

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

image2144101468
That Sucks Word Alternatives

Your day is the worst. Your vocabulary is the best.

alt-5931949575ca5
'All the Feels,' All the Time

Once more, with 'feels'

alt-59480e09b8844
A Pineapple Is An Apple (Kind Of)

Pineapple once had a different, more internationally common name.

alt-594938b88b98e
Read This to Get 'Smart'

A thinking person's guide

Ask the Editors

decimate-video
Is it wrong to use 'decimate' to mean 'destroy'?

Language changes

serial-comma
The Serial Comma

Why don't they call it the Merriam-Webster comma?

video-irregardless-grammar-peeve-blend-of-the-synonyms-irrespective-and-regardless
Irregardless

It is in fact a real word (but that doesn't mean you should use it).

video-moose-goose-weird-plurals
Weird Plurals

One goose, two geese. One moose, two... moose. What's up with that?

Word Games

istock-refers-to-this-as-a-tumble-of-strawberries-which-sounded-pretty-nice-to-us
June 2017 Words of the Day Quiz

Summer's first WOTD quiz.

Take the quiz
alt-5941ad7527c3c
Yearbook Superlatives Quiz

Is that your picture under "Largest Vocabulary"?

Take the quiz
Name That Thing
Name That Thing

Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!

Take the quiz
Citation
Citation

Do you know the person or title these quotes describe?

Play the game
Examples: sticker shock in a Sentence