sticker shock

plural sticker shocks

1. USidiomaticinformaluncountableusuallyDisgust, shock, or fright upon learning the price of an item offered for sale.

   Now the 1997 model year brings a slew of new and redesigned models that tackle sticker shock head-on.

   1996 Dec, Ed Henry, Taking on Sticker Shock, Kiplinger's Personal Finance

   3 more examples

   Last week Jensen returned to his dealer's showroom to eye the new Continental, but he quickly became another victim of what Detroit calls "sticker shock." The price on the car's window: $25,692. Says he: "Damn, that is expensive! It persuaded me to keep driving my '80 until it won't go any more."

   1981 November 9, P. Witteman, K. Pierce, “Going from Bad to Even Worse”, in Time

   This was supposed to be a summer of long-awaited celebrations in New York City, the return of a packed calendar full of birthday dinners and happy hours. But New Yorkers are confronting sticker shock everywhere they look, whether they’re shopping for barbecue supplies at the grocery store, ordering a beer after work or grabbing a late-night slice of pizza.

   2022 August 8, Nicole Hong, “$15 French Fries and $18 Sandwiches: Inflation Hits New York”, in New York Times, →ISSN

   But we have been educated, by a warped system, to believe that food is cheap as of right. That is why many of us are now suffering sticker shock when we eat out.

   2023 June 10, Tim Hayward, “The pie’s the limit”, in FT Weekend (Life & Arts section), London: The Financial Times Ltd., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 2