expensive
English · Thesaurus
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expensive
- /ɪkˈspɛn.sɪv/
- /ɛkˈspɛn.sɪv/
- /ɪkˈspɪn.sɪv/ pin pen merger
- /əkˈspɛn.sɪv/
- /əkˈspɪn.sɪv/ pin pen merger
Rhymes with -ɛnsɪv
Where it comes from
From Latin *expēnsīvus, from expendō (“to weigh out (money), to pay out”) (whence English expend). By surface analysis, expense + -ive. In the sense of "high-priced" has largely displaced dear.
adjective more expensive · most expensive · expencive
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Having a high price or cost.
If successful, Edison and Ford—in 1914—would move society away from the ever more expensive and then universally known killing hazards of gasoline cars: air and water pollution, noise and noxiousness, constant coughing and the undeniable rise in cancers caused by smoke exhaust particulates.
Similar: costly, high-priced, pricey, dear · Opposite: cheap, inexpensive, low-priced
- Taking a lot of system time or resources. an unnecessarily expensive choice of algorithm
- Given to expending a lot of money; profligate, lavish. […] And that he looked into his own affairs, and underſtood them; That he had, when abroad, been very expenſive; and contracted a large debt (for he made no ſecret of his affairs); […]
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Having a high economy rate.
Opposite: economical
Similar: 5-star, big-ticket, chargeful, cheap at half the price, costful, costly, cost-prohibitive, fancy, dear, dearthful, dispendious, ex, expenny, expensive, exy, high-cost, lickpenny, million-dollar, high-priced, princely, out of sight, overdear, pricey, ruinous, spendy, spenno, spenny, splurgy, steep · Opposite: affordable, attainable, bargain, budget, cheap, discount, economical, econo-, inexpensive, jitney, low-end, low-priced, nickel, value
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: costly, big-ticket, pricy, dear, pricey, overpriced, high-priced, dearly-won, exorbitant, luxurious, gallant, luxury, high-end, precious, tough, high-grade
adjective
Similar: 5-star, big-ticket, chargeful, cheap at half the price, costful, costly, cost-prohibitive, fancy, dear, dearthful, dispendious, ex, expenny, expensive, exy, high-cost, lickpenny, million-dollar, high-priced, princely, out of sight, overdear, pricey, ruinous, spendy, spenno, spenny, splurgy, steep · Opposite: affordable, attainable, bargain, budget, cheap, discount, economical, econo-, inexpensive, jitney, low-end, low-priced, nickel, value
Translations
Every language
adj having a high price or cost
| Español | caro, costoso, dispendioso, oneroso, gravoso, cariola (p.u.) |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 비싸다 bissada |
| 日本語 | 高い takai |
| 中文 | 貴 /贵 guì, 昂貴 /昂贵 ángguì |
| हिन्दी | महँगा mahaṅgā, बहुमूल्य bahumūlya, क़ीमती qīmtī |
| Kiswahili | gali |
| Português | caro |
| Français | cher, coûteux |
| Deutsch | teuer, kostspielig |
| Italiano | caro, costoso, dispendioso |
| Ελληνικά | ακριβός akrivós |
| Română | scump, costisitor |
| Русский | дорого́й dorogój |
| Tiếng Việt | đắt, đắt tiền, mắc |
| العربية | غَالٍ ḡālin, الْغَالِي al-ḡālī, مُكَلَّف mukallaf |
| עברית | יָקָר yaqar |
Talk about this word "expensive." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/expensive. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. expensive. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/expensive "expensive." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/expensive.Cite this
@misc{expensive_2026,
title = {expensive},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/expensive},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
