expensive

comparative more expensive · superlative most expensive · alternative archaic expencive

1. Having a high price or cost.

   In Starbucks’s case, the firm has in effect turned the process of making an expensive cup of coffee into intellectual property.

   2013 June 22, “The G8 summit: T time”, in The Economist, London: The Economist Group, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 09 Jul 2013

   1 more example

   If successful, Edison and Ford—in 1914—would move society away from the ever more expensive and then universally known killing hazards of gasoline cars: air and water pollution, noise and noxiousness, constant coughing and the undeniable rise in cancers caused by smoke exhaust particulates.

   2006, Edwin Black, “The Plan Against Oil”, in Internal Combustion: How Corporations and Governments Addicted the World to Oil and Derailed the Alternatives, New York: St. Martin's Press, →ISBN, page 2

   Synonyms: costly, high-priced, pricey, dear · Antonyms: cheap, inexpensive, low-priced

2. computingTaking a lot of system time or resources.

   an unnecessarily expensive choice of algorithm

3. obsoleteGiven to expending a lot of money; profligate, lavish.

   'His character is now before you — expensive, dissipated, and worse than both […]'

   1811, [Jane Austen], chapter IX, in Sense and Sensibility […], volume II, London: […] C[harles] Roworth, […], and published by T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC

   2 more examples

   […] And that he looked into his own affairs, and underſtood them; That he had, when abroad, been very expenſive; and contracted a large debt (for he made no ſecret of his affairs); […]

   1748, [Samuel Richardson], “Letter IV. Miſs Clarissa Harlowe, To Miſs Howe.”, in Clarissa. Or, The History of a Young Lady: […], volume I, London: […] S[amuel] Richardson; [a]nd sold by A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, page 22

   […] thus naturally generous and expenſive, he ſquandered away his money, and made a moſt ſplendid appearance upon the receipt of his quarterly appointment; […]

   1751, [Tobias] Smollett, chapter XXV, in The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle […], volume I, London: Harrison and Co., […], →OCLC, page 186

4. ball gamesHaving a high economy rate.

   Antonyms: economical