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100 Words to Use Instead of “Expensive”

March 16, 2026

100 Words to Use Instead of

No. Term Definition
1. Above-market Priced higher than typical rates.
2. Arm and a leg Costs a great deal.
3. Astronomical Shockingly high in price.
4. At a premium Costing extra for added value.
5. Bank-breaking So costly it strains finances.
6. Big-ticket High-priced, major purchase item.
7. Boutique-priced Priced like small, upscale shops.
8. Brassbound Strictly high-priced; not flexible.
9. Break-the-bank So costly it empties savings.
10. Budget-busting Beyond what a budget allows.
11. Cadillac Top-of-the-line; premium priced.
12. Capital-intensive Requiring lots of money upfront.
13. Champagne-priced Priced like luxury celebrations.
14. Costly High in cost.
15. Costs a fortune Extremely costly.
16. Dear Costing a lot.
17. Deluxe Upgraded and higher priced.
18. Designer Branded; priced for prestige.
19. Dollar-draining Quickly uses up money.
20. Double-digit Notably high per-unit price.
21. Exorbitant Unreasonably high-priced.
22. Extravagant Excessively lavish in cost.
23. Eye-watering So pricey it shocks.
24. Fancy Ornate and pricier than usual.
25. First-class Top tier; higher priced.
26. Fleeceworthy Overpriced; feels like a ripoff.
27. Flush-priced Aimed at those with money.
28. Fortune Costs an enormous amount.
29. Gold-plated Lavishly upgraded; very costly.
30. Gourmet-priced Priced like high-end food.
31. Grand Impressively costly or luxurious.
32. High as a kite Very high-priced.
33. High-end Top quality with high prices.
34. High-priced Costing a lot.
35. Immoderate Excessive; more than reasonable.
36. In the stratosphere Extremely high-priced.
37. Inordinately priced Priced far above normal.
38. Investment-level So pricey it feels like investing.
39. Jewelry-store Priced like fine jewelry.
40. Kingly Fit for royalty; very costly.
41. Ladylike luxury Refined, upscale, and costly.
42. Lavish Richly provided; costly.
43. Luxury High-quality and very costly.
44. Made of money Only affordable for the wealthy.
45. Market-top At the highest market price.
46. Mega-priced Extremely high-priced.
47. Moneyed Associated with wealth and cost.
48. Not cheap Costs more than expected.
49. Opulent Richly luxurious and costly.
50. Out of reach Too costly to afford.
51. Over the odds Costing more than it should.
52. Overpriced Priced higher than value.
53. Palm-greasing Involving extra payments; costly.
54. Paying through the nose Paying far too much.
55. Plush Comfortably luxurious; costly.
56. Premium Higher priced for better quality.
57. Premium-priced Priced above standard offerings.
58. Pricey Somewhat or very costly.
59. Princely Very generous; high-priced.
60. Prohibitively priced Too costly to be practical.
61. Rich-man’s Meant for wealthy buyers.
62. Ritzy Showily luxurious and costly.
63. Rolls-Royce Best-in-class; very pricey.
64. Ruination-level So costly it could ruin you.
65. Sky-high Extremely high in price.
66. Spendthrift’s delight Encourages heavy spending.
67. Spendy Costing more than usual.
68. Splurge-worthy Worth spending extra on.
69. Status-priced Priced for prestige, not necessity.
70. Steep Uncomfortably high in price.
71. Sticker shock Surprisingly high listed price.
72. Stratospheric Extremely high-priced.
73. Sumptuous Rich, luxurious, and costly.
74. Super-premium Above premium; very costly.
75. Tiffany-level Priced like iconic luxury goods.
76. Top-dollar At the highest price.
77. Top-shelf Best quality; higher priced.
78. Treasury-draining Consumes funds quickly.
79. Uber-pricey Extremely pricey.
80. Ultra-costly Exceptionally high in cost.
81. Ultra-premium Highest tier; very expensive.
82. Upmarket Aimed at wealthier buyers.
83. Value-stretching Makes money go less far.
84. Veblen-good Demand rises with higher price.
85. Velvet-rope Exclusive access; high-priced.
86. Wallet-bending Hard on your finances.
87. Wallet-emptying Leaves little money left.
88. White-glove High-service; premium priced.
89. Whole paycheck Costs nearly all your pay.
90. Worth its weight Extremely valuable; very costly.
91. X-rated pricing Shockingly high; borderline obscene.
92. Xenial luxury Hospitality-level luxury; costly.
93. Yacht-class As costly as owning a yacht.
94. Yen-guzzling Consumes money quickly.
95. Yes-it’s-that-much So costly it needs confirming.
96. Yielding no change Leaves you with no money back.
97. Zero-change Costs all the cash you have.
98. Zillion-dollar Hyperbolically extremely costly.
99. Zloty-sapping Drains money fast.
100. Zodiac-luxury Showy luxury; priced high.

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