expensive
adjective
ex·pen·sive
ik-ˈspen(t)-siv 
1
: involving high cost or sacrifice
an expensive hobby
2
a
: commanding a high price and especially one that is not based on intrinsic worth or is beyond a prospective buyer's means
b
: characterized by high prices
expensive shops
expensively
adverb
expensiveness
noun
Examples of expensive in a Sentence
The lights were expensive to install.
expensive clothing that only the truly wealthy can afford
Recent Examples on the Web
Despite being the most expensive indoor camera on this list, more than 3,000 Amazon shoppers bought this indoor camera in January 2026.
—
Trisha Easto, USA Today, 16 Feb. 2026
Essential costs such as housing and food keep getting more expensive, and wages haven’t kept up.
—Julie Z. Weil, Washington Post, 16 Feb. 2026
These findings suggest that men are more likely to pull up stakes and abandon Florida — which, in recent years, has become one of the country’s most expensive regions — while women are digging in their heels.
—Genesis Lisboa, Sun Sentinel, 16 Feb. 2026
Moments later, a Guinness World Records official appeared onscreen and confirmed Paul had sold the most expensive trading card ever at auction.
—Laura Sharman, CNN Money, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for expensive
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Trisha Easto, USA Today, 16 Feb. 2026
Essential costs such as housing and food keep getting more expensive, and wages haven’t kept up.
—Julie Z. Weil, Washington Post, 16 Feb. 2026
These findings suggest that men are more likely to pull up stakes and abandon Florida — which, in recent years, has become one of the country’s most expensive regions — while women are digging in their heels.
—Genesis Lisboa, Sun Sentinel, 16 Feb. 2026
Moments later, a Guinness World Records official appeared onscreen and confirmed Paul had sold the most expensive trading card ever at auction.
—Laura Sharman, CNN Money, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for expensive
Cite this Entry
“Expensive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/expensive. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
expensive
adjective
ex·pen·sive
ik-ˈspen(t)-siv
1
: costly sense 2
an expensive hobby
2
a
: having a high price
expensive gifts
b
: marked by high prices
expensive shops
expensively
adverb
expensiveness
noun
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