expensive

expensive — adjective

1. Something that is expensive requires you to pay a large amount of money to buy i

1.adjectiveA2
Definition

Something that is expensive requires you to pay a large amount of money to buy it, use it, or keep it.

Example

Salma thought the hotel was too expensive for a short weekend trip.

too + expensive + for [purpose]

Liang bought an expensive antique clock at the local auction.

bought + an expensive [item]

Common collocations
  • expensive car / restaurant / hotel / watch / dress / phone / meal / ticket / shoes / bag / gift
  • too expensive
  • very expensive
  • extremely expensive
  • quite expensive
  • far too expensive
  • expensive to run / repair / maintain / buy / use
Synonyms
  • costly

    More formal; often implies serious financial effort or a figurative loss (a costly mistake).

  • pricey

    Informal and conversational; common in everyday speech in both British and American English.

  • dear

    Chiefly British and somewhat old-fashioned; still used in the UK for basic goods (petrol is so dear these days).

  • overpriced

    Carries a negative judgment that the cost is unreasonably high for the quality or value.

Antonyms
  • cheap

    The most direct opposite; can sometimes suggest low quality as well as low price.

  • inexpensive

    Neutral and factual; does not carry the 'low quality' implication that 'cheap' sometimes has.

  • affordable

    Focuses on the buyer's ability to pay rather than the absolute price level.

Grammar Patterns

be + expensive

too + expensive + for + [noun]

the most expensive + [noun]

find + [noun] + (too) expensive

Usage Note

Can appear both before a noun (an expensive restaurant) and after the verb 'be' or similar linking verbs (the meal was expensive). Adverbs of degree such as very, too, quite, extremely, and rather are very common before this adjective.

Common Mistakes

The price of this watch is very expensive.
The price of this watch is very high.' or 'This watch is very expensive.
The word 'expensive' describes the item, not the price itself. Use 'high' or 'low' for prices.
I bought an expensive phone very.
I bought a very expensive phone.
The adverb must come directly before the adjective, not after it.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe something that costs a lot of money, but they differ in register and use. 'Expensive' is the most neutral and widely used term, appropriate in both formal and everyday contexts. 'Costly' sounds more formal and is often chosen for major purchases (a costly renovation) or for figurative costs (a costly mistake). 'Pricey' is informal and common in casual conversation — you might call a coffee 'a bit pricey' but not 'costly'. 'Dear' is a British usage that has become less common over time; older British speakers still use it for everyday items (Everything is so dear now). In American English 'dear' sounds old-fashioned or poetic. For example, a native speaker might say 'The flights were expensive this summer' (neutral), but add 'Bloody pricey!' (informal British) or 'Quite costly when you add the fees' (formal).

expensive ↗costly ↗priceydear ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • expensive to run
  • expensive to repair
  • expensive to maintain
  • expensive to buy
  • expensive to live in

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'expensive' entered English in the early 1600s from the Latin 'expensus', meaning 'weighed out' or 'paid out' — the past participle of 'expendere' (ex- 'out' + pendere 'to weigh, pay'). It originally meant 'given to spending freely, extravagant', describing a person rather than a thing. By the 1700s the meaning shifted to describe things that cost a lot of money, which is how we use it today.