sticker shock
noun
: 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
However, that four-figure price tag induces sticker shock.
—
Adrienne So, WIRED, 22 Mar. 2024
And the sticker shock is less because buyers focus on the monthly payment rather than the overall cost of the car.
—Michelle Singletary, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024
One reason may be sticker shock from some highly visible prices — even as overall inflation has calmed.
—Talmon Joseph Smith, New York Times, 29 Feb. 2024
The best furniture often comes with sticker shock, but these pieces are made to last, says Bew White, president of Summer Classics, a high-end outdoor furniture company that designs and manufactures outdoor furniture in more than 32 different styles and materials.
—Marty Ross, Kansas City Star, 30 Jan. 2024
The latest casualty: parents experiencing the sticker shock of summer camp.
—Nancy Chen, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2024
Although food inflation is stabilizing — grocery prices remained flat in February from a month earlier, and some items, such as rice, chicken, milk and coffee, actually got cheaper — families are still experiencing sticker shock at the checkout line.
—Abha Bhattarai, Washington Post, 18 Mar. 2024
Customers expect to empty their wallets there, and experience less sticker shock.
—Meghan McCarron, Bon Appétit, 1 Feb. 2024
The landscape for pure EV companies has gotten more difficult in the past year, as some customers are proving reluctant to make the switch to full-electric vehicles, citing sticker shock and unreliable charging networks.
—Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 1 Mar. 2024
Adrienne So, WIRED, 22 Mar. 2024
And the sticker shock is less because buyers focus on the monthly payment rather than the overall cost of the car.
—Michelle Singletary, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024
One reason may be sticker shock from some highly visible prices — even as overall inflation has calmed.
—Talmon Joseph Smith, New York Times, 29 Feb. 2024
The best furniture often comes with sticker shock, but these pieces are made to last, says Bew White, president of Summer Classics, a high-end outdoor furniture company that designs and manufactures outdoor furniture in more than 32 different styles and materials.
—Marty Ross, Kansas City Star, 30 Jan. 2024
The latest casualty: parents experiencing the sticker shock of summer camp.
—Nancy Chen, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2024
Although food inflation is stabilizing — grocery prices remained flat in February from a month earlier, and some items, such as rice, chicken, milk and coffee, actually got cheaper — families are still experiencing sticker shock at the checkout line.
—Abha Bhattarai, Washington Post, 18 Mar. 2024
Customers expect to empty their wallets there, and experience less sticker shock.
—Meghan McCarron, Bon Appétit, 1 Feb. 2024
The landscape for pure EV companies has gotten more difficult in the past year, as some customers are proving reluctant to make the switch to full-electric vehicles, citing sticker shock and unreliable charging networks.
—Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 1 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sticker shock.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near sticker shock
Cite this Entry
“Sticker shock.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sticker%20shock. Accessed 3 May. 2024.
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