Pricy

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Marked by an expensive or high price tag
2. Denoting a significant financial outlay or steep cost
3. Having a cost that is notably higher than usual for similar items

Etymology: "Pricy" is a simple formation: the noun "price" with the adjective-forming suffix "-y," meaning "having the quality of" or "characterized by." Put together, it means "characterized by price," which in practice came to mean "expensive." The suffix itself is very old, descending from an Old English ending that was attached to nouns to form adjectives, so the word is a plain compound of two parts rather than a borrowing from another language. The noun "price" has a longer and more winding path. It traces back through Middle English and Old French and ultimately to Latin "pretium," meaning "worth" or "value," and it gave the English language a whole family of words about cost and worth. Because "pricy" grew straight out of "price," it carries that original sense of value along with it.

Synonyms: expensive, costly, high-priced, dear, overpriced

Antonyms: cheap, affordable, inexpensive, low-priced, bargain