Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Very expensive; involving a high price or cost: Used to describe items, products, services, or programs that require a large amount of money to purchase or implement.

Usage

• The adjective "high-ticket" is used attributively, meaning it typically comes before a noun to describe it (e.g., a high-ticket item). It is a compound adjective.
• It is often used in business, retail, and economic contexts to categorize costly goods or significant financial investments.

Examples

• Adjective:
  • The store specializes in high-ticket luxury goods.
  • Buying a house is usually the most high-ticket purchase a person will make.
  • The company's new research initiative is a high-ticket project requiring substantial funding.

Advanced Usage

• "high-ticket item": A common collocation referring to a single product or service that is very costly.
  • Jewelry and designer watches are classic high-ticket items.
• The term can be used metaphorically to describe something that requires a significant investment of resources (time, effort, etc.), though its primary meaning is financial.
  • Earning that professional certification is a high-ticket endeavor in terms of time and study.

Variants and Related Words

• Big-ticket (adj): A direct synonym, meaning very expensive. Often used interchangeably with "high-ticket."
  • The defense budget includes several big-ticket items.
• Luxury (adj/n): Of high quality and price. While "luxury" implies quality and desirability, "high-ticket" focuses specifically on the high cost.
• Costly (adj): Involving great cost. "Costly" is more general, while "high-ticket" is often used in commercial contexts.

Synonyms

• Expensive
• Costly
• Pricey
• Dear (chiefly British English)

Antonyms

• Low-cost
• Inexpensive
• Cheap
• Budget (as in )

Adjective

1. very expensive
   • big-ticket items like cars and furs
   • a big-ticket government program