expensive
Hard on wallets
Expensive means costing a lot of money: an expensive restaurant, an expensive mistake.
The word implies a price high enough to give pause or strain a budget.
What counts as expensive varies by context—expensive for a meal differs from expensive for a house.
Something can be expensive in a good way (worth the cost) or bad (overpriced): It's expensive, but you get what you pay for.
Marked by costly elegance
- high-endPremium quality tier
- upscaleElegant and expensive
- lavishAbundant beyond necessity
- sumptuousSplendidly rich and costly
plush · opulent · deluxe · swanky · ritzy · posh · fancy · extravagant
Costing a lot
- overpricedCosting more than warranted
- exorbitantUnreasonably high, as costs
- steepRising at sharp angle
- high-pricedCosting much money
inflated · prohibitive · unaffordable · dear · pricy · hefty · outrageous · extortionate
One who plans appearances
- bespokeMade to individual specifications
- handcraftedMade manually, not machined
- artisanalMade by skilled craftspeople
- boutiqueSmall specialized retail shop
tailored · couture · customized · curated · signature · exclusive · gourmet · imported
Beyond monetary worth
- irreplaceableHaving no adequate substitute
- heirloomInherited family treasure
- masterpieceSupreme artistic achievement
- antiqueOld valued collectible
treasure · artifact · heritage · collectible · one-of-a-kind · rare · unique · timeless
Yielding to desire
- treatSomething pleasantly special
- extravaganceExcessive, wasteful spending
- spreeBrief excessive episode
- impulseSudden urge to act
frivolous · nonessential · discretionary · binge · splashy · wasteful · unnecessary · big-ticket
Having abundant financial resources
- wealthyHaving abundant financial resources
- upper-classSocially and economically privileged
- privilegedHaving special advantages
- jet-setWealthy international travelers
aristocratic · moneyed · well-heeled · rich · prosperous · plutocratic · landed · socialite
luxurious
Marked by costly elegance
sumptuous · plush · opulent · deluxe · swanky · ritzy · posh · fancy · extravagant · decadent
pricey
Costing a lot
- overpricedCosting more than warranted
- exorbitantUnreasonably high, as costs
- steepRising at sharp angle
high-priced · inflated · prohibitive · unaffordable · dear · pricy · hefty · outrageous · extortionate · unreasonable
designer
One who plans appearances
- bespokeMade to individual specifications
- handcraftedMade manually, not machined
- artisanalMade by skilled craftspeople
boutique · tailored · couture · customized · curated · signature · exclusive · gourmet · imported · top-shelf
invaluable
Beyond monetary worth
- irreplaceableHaving no adequate substitute
- heirloomInherited family treasure
- masterpieceSupreme artistic achievement
antique · treasure · artifact · heritage · collectible · one-of-a-kind · rare · unique · timeless · historic
indulgence
Yielding to desire
- treatSomething pleasantly special
- extravaganceExcessive, wasteful spending
- spreeBrief excessive episode
impulse · frivolous · nonessential · discretionary · binge · splashy · wasteful · unnecessary · big-ticket
affluent
Having abundant financial resources
- wealthyHaving abundant financial resources
- upper-classSocially and economically privileged
- privilegedHaving special advantages
jet-set · aristocratic · moneyed · well-heeled · rich · prosperous · plutocratic · landed · socialite
- adjectivesbig, urgent, amazing, temporary, bold
- price wordscheap, costly, affordable, pricey, overpriced
- shopping descriptorscheap, affordable, bargain, discount, sale
- vehicle adjectivesfast, slow, new, old, used
- money wordsvalue, worth, wealth, poverty, costly
- travel termsnonstop, direct, airline, one-way, round-trip