priceyadj.

1932 ‘C. L. Anthony’ Service iii. ii. 101 I've got the day off to-day—been up to a sale to see about a show-case. But I couldn't touch it. It was a very pricey article.

1953 D. Whipple Someone at Distance xxvii. 243 ‘Pricey, I know,’ continued Mr. Pye. ‘But worth it, Madam.’

1971 Daily Tel. 19 Aug. 2/5 Meat has become a very pricey business for most households.

1996 Sunday Mail Mag. (Brisbane) 25 Aug. 34/1 They're not the cheapest bangers 'n' mash in town. In fact, at $11.50 a serve, they are probably up there with the priciest.

2005 FHM Jan. 12/2 (caption) All that pricey computer technology—and this is the best the Art Dept can come up with.

1985 Footwear News Mag. (Nexis) Oct. 8 Red walls will not necessarily inspire a conservative customer to charge up a pair of pricily trendy shoes.

1986 Nation (N.Y.) 25 Oct. 419/2 He lets his aging face..do most of his work for him, and his trim body (pricily dressed) does the rest.

2004 Observer (Nexis) 12 Sept. (Review section) 13 More than five hours of nourishing music for little more than the price of one pricily packaged crossover concoction.

1981 Washington Post 11 Dec. (Weekend section) 48/1 Gifts for the aspiring ascending have to combine practicality and priceyness.

1993 Classical Philol. 88 94 Despite its irritating priciness, it is indispensable to all scholars who have any interest whatsoever in Roman marriage.

2004 Daily Post (N. Wales) (Nexis) 5 Sept. 26 Prices will remain high while customers are prepared to pay them, but sometimes priciness is a necessary part of the pampering and rejuvenating process.