Standard Lemma guide

expensively

adv · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • US: /ɛkˈspɛn.sɪv.li/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: EH2 K S P EH1 N S IH0 V L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adv

Meaning 1

In an expensive manner.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adverb

Meaning 2

in an expensive manner

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • an expensively dressed little man turned a corner and approached her

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: cheaply

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English expensive Proto-Indo-European *leyg-der. Proto-Germanic *līkąder. Proto-Germanic *-līkaz Proto-Germanic *-ê Proto-Germanic *-līkê Proto-West Germanic *-līkē Old English -līċe Middle English -ly English -ly English expensively From expensive + -ly.

Across languages

Translations

15 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: carament — in an expensive manner
  • Catalan: costosament — in an expensive manner
  • Czech: draze — in an expensive manner
  • Finnish: kalliisti — in an expensive manner
  • Finnish: kalliilla — in an expensive manner
  • German: teuer — in an expensive manner
  • Greek: ακριβά (akrivá) — in an expensive manner
  • Hungarian: drágán — in an expensive manner
  • Navajo: ílį́įgo — in an expensive manner
  • Polish: drogo — in an expensive manner
  • Portuguese: caramente — in an expensive manner
  • Portuguese: custosamente — in an expensive manner
  • Russian: до́рого (dórogo) — in an expensive manner
  • Lower Sorbian: drogo — in an expensive manner
  • Spanish: costosamente — in an expensive manner