Expensive: Meaning, Examples, and Usage Guide

Meaning 1：costly (expensive)

expensive 🔊

/ɪkˈspensɪv/

adj.

Costing a lot of money; having a high price.

Expensive diamond ring in jewelry store display case

costly 🔊

➕

/ˈkɒstli/

adj.

Having a high price; costing a large amount of money.

📁 Category：Social Economy 🔖 Level：Elementary

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

Ex- (out) + pens (pay) + -ive (adj.) -> 'causing outlay'.

💡 Mnemonic

Think of 'ex' (out) + 'pens' (like pennies) -> many pennies going out.

📖 Example

I really wanted to buy that new book, but it was expensive, so I decided to wait for a sale. 🔊 I really wanted to buy that new book, but it was expensive, so I decided to wait for a sale.

🔗 Collocations

expensive car – a vehicle that costs a lot of money

expensive taste – preference for costly items

expensive mistake – an error that results in high financial loss

🔄 Synonyms

costly (adj.) – Having a high price.

pricey (adj.) – Informal term for expensive.

dear (adj.) – Chiefly British: costing a lot.

🚫 Antonyms

cheap (adj.) – Low in price; not expensive.

inexpensive (adj.) – Not costing a lot of money.

affordable (adj.) – Reasonably priced; within one's financial means.

🌱 Derivatives

expensively (adv.) – In a way that costs a lot of money.

expensiveness (n.) – The quality of being expensive.

inexpensive (adj.) – Not expensive.

📖 Cultural Story

Derived from Latin 'expendere' (ex- 'out' + pendere 'weigh, pay'). Entered English via French in the 15th century. Today commonly used in shopping, budgeting, and finance.