Word · CEFR A1 · Frequency #1577
expensive
/ekˈspensɪv/
adjective
昂贵的；高价的
high in price or charging high prices
- 1.
Having a high price or cost.
价格高
- 2.
high in price or charging high prices
价格高或收费高
- 3.
Taking a lot of system time or resources.
消耗大量系统时间或资源
- 4.
Having a high economy rate.
经济成本高
价格高；价格高或收费高；消耗大量系统时间或资源；经济成本高；贵的
In use
This restaurant is too expensive for a casual lunch.
She bought an expensive dress for the wedding.
The hotel rooms are expensive during the summer holidays.
expensive clothes
an expensive shop
subject + be + expensive
This car is very expensive.
这辆车很贵。
subject + be + expensive + to do
表示做某事花费高。
This restaurant is expensive to eat at.
这家餐厅吃饭很贵。
Connections
Collocations
- expensive car
- 昂贵的汽车
- She drives an expensive car.她开一辆昂贵的汽车。
- expensive restaurant
- 昂贵的餐厅
- We had dinner at an expensive restaurant.我们在一家昂贵的餐厅吃了晚餐。
- expensive taste
- 昂贵的品味
- He has expensive taste in clothes.他在衣服方面有昂贵的品味。
- expensive mistake
- 代价高昂的错误
- Buying that house was an expensive mistake.买那所房子是一个代价高昂的错误。
- prohibitively expensive
- 贵得令人望而却步
- The treatment is prohibitively expensive for most people.这种治疗对大多数人来说贵得令人望而却步。
Idioms & figurative uses
Learner notes
Memory Tip
音似'X-pensive'，让人联想到付款时心疼喊'X'，意为'昂贵的'。
Context & Register
[object Object]
Pronunciation & Spelling
All words rhyme with 'expensive' because they share the stressed vowel /ɛ/ and the ending /nsɪv/, despite different prefixes. Watch for spelling similarities that may not reflect pronunciation.
High-value vocabulary
该词属于 Oxford 核心词汇，值得优先掌握常见搭配和句型。
Usage priority
Collins 词频等级为 4，建议结合例句记忆，而不是只背中文释义。
Dictionary facts from DICTIONARY_API_DEV, ECDICT, WIKTIONARY.