overpriced

overpriced — adjective

1. costing more than the real value of something, so that the price seems unfair or

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

costing more than the real value of something, so that the price seems unfair or unreasonable

Example

Tendai thought the hotel was overpriced, so they booked a simpler guesthouse instead.

The café charges ¥180 for a coffee, which seems overpriced for this area.

collocation: overpriced for [place/area]

Common collocations
  • grossly overpriced
  • slightly overpriced
  • overpriced for what it is
  • overpriced goods
  • overpriced restaurants
Synonyms
  • pricey

    informal; milder, often used playfully rather than critically

  • costly

    more formal; can mean simply expensive without implying unfairness

  • exorbitant

    much stronger; suggests a price is shockingly or unreasonably high (C1)

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

be + overpriced

find + object + overpriced

seem/appear + overpriced

Usage Note

Frequently used with linking verbs (be, seem, feel, look). The word implies a judgment about value, not just cost — an item that is simply expensive may still be fairly priced, but an overpriced item is considered not worth the money.

Common Mistakes

This restaurant is too expensive for me' (when you mean overpriced).
This restaurant is overpriced.
'too expensive' can mean simply beyond one's personal budget; 'overpriced' implies the price is unfair compared to what you get.

Word family

  • overprice
    verbB2
  • price
    nounA2
  • price
    verbB1
  • pricing
    nounB1
  • priceless
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All five words describe a high price, but they differ in strength and implication. 'Overpriced' focuses on the gap between price and value — you feel cheated. 'Expensive' is neutral: something costs a lot, regardless of fairness ('A Ferrari is expensive, but not overpriced for what it offers'). 'Costly' is more formal and can also mean 'causing loss or trouble' ('a costly mistake'). 'Exorbitant' is the strongest — it signals an outrageously high price ('exorbitant rent'). 'Pricey' is informal and milder, often used in casual conversation ('that café is a bit pricey'). For example: 'The hotel was overpriced — ¥20,000 a night for a room without air conditioning.' vs. 'The hotel was expensive but worth it for the view.'

overpriced ↗expensive ↗costly ↗exorbitantpricey

Common collocations

Nouns

  • restaurants
  • hotels
  • tickets
  • products
  • goods
  • services
  • homes
  • properties

Adverbs

Phrases

  • for what it is
  • compared to
  • given the quality

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Formed by combining the prefix 'over-' (meaning 'too much' or 'excessive') with 'priced', the past participle of the verb 'price'. 'Price' comes from Old French 'pris', which itself traces back to Latin 'pretium', meaning 'worth, value, or reward'. The compound 'overpriced' first appeared in English in the mid-20th century, reflecting a consumer culture where people began to judge whether goods were fairly valued.