Definition

Adjective 1. Having a high price; expensive: Used to describe goods, services, or items that cost a lot of money. - The store sells high-priced designer clothing. - We avoided the high-priced hotels in the city center.

Usage

The adjective "high-priced" directly modifies a noun to indicate its cost is high. It is typically used before the noun it describes (attributive position). It is a neutral, descriptive term, though it often implies the item may be expensive relative to similar items or to the speaker's budget.

Examples

• Attributive use (before a noun):
  • The company is known for its high-priced luxury cars.
  • Repairs on the vintage watch were high-priced but necessary.
  • They dined at a high-priced seafood restaurant.

Advanced Usage

• Comparative and Superlative Forms: While "more high-priced" and "most high-priced" are grammatically correct, the simpler synonyms "more expensive" and "most expensive" are far more common in modern usage.

  • This model is more high-priced than the basic version. (Less common)
  • This model is more expensive than the basic version. (More common)

• Implied Context: The term often carries an implied comparison or judgment about value.

  • The software is powerful, but its high-priced subscription deters individual users. (Implies it is expensive compared to alternatives or expectations.)

Variants and Related Words

• Pricey (also Pricy) (adjective): Informal synonym for expensive or high-priced.
  • That neighborhood has become very pricey.
• Costly (adjective): Expensive; involving great cost or loss. Can imply more severe consequences than just monetary expense.
  • The project was delayed by a costly mistake.
• Dear (adjective, chiefly British): Expensive. (Note: "Dear" has other primary meanings, such as "beloved.")
  • Fruit is particularly dear at this time of year.

Synonyms

• Expensive
• Costly
• Dear (chiefly British)
• Pricey (informal)
• Exorbitant (implies a price that is unreasonably high)

Antonyms

• Inexpensive
• Cheap
• Low-priced
• Affordable
• Economical

Notes on Usage

• "High-priced" vs. "Expensive": "High-priced" is slightly more formal and descriptive, often used in commercial or analytical contexts. "Expensive" is the most common and versatile term in everyday language.
• Hyphenation: The hyphen is standard when the compound adjective precedes a noun (e.g., ). It may be omitted in predicate position (e.g., ), though the hyphenated form is still preferred for clarity.

Adjective

1. having a high price
   • costly jewelry
   • high-priced merchandise
   • much too dear for my pocketbook
   • a pricey restaurant