big-ticket

adjective

big-tick·​et ˈbig-ˈti-kət 

1

: having a high price

the car was a big-ticket item

2

: having great importance or prominence : major

The founders had hoped to address three big-ticket issues: the environment, nuclear weapons, and Middle East peace.

—David Corn

Synonyms

• costly
• dear
• expensive
• extravagant
• high
• high-end
• high-ticket
• precious
• premium
• priceless
• pricey
• pricy
• spendy [chiefly Northwest]
• ultraexpensive
• valuable

Examples of big-ticket in a Sentence

with the tough economy, fewer people are likely to be making big-ticket purchases

Recent Examples on the Web

Amazon’s Memorial Day sale is packed with steep deals on big-ticket items, from patio furniture sets to cordless vacuums. —Isabel Garcia, People.com, 24 May 2025

The pivot would essentially force Trump to pick between two competing desires: his desire to avoid antagonizing Putin against his wish to bring in more cash for the U.S. via the sale of big-ticket defense items. —Bloomberg News, Boston Herald, 24 May 2025

The raucous event includes musical performances, skits and an auction for big-ticket items. Tickets, starting at $75, are available at bigslickkc.org or T-MobileCenter.com. —Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 23 May 2025

Here’s a look at some of the big-ticket items in the latest round of GOP tax cuts. —Tobias Burns, The Hill, 21 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1933, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for big-ticket

• chicot
• cricket
• picket
• picot
• thicket
• ticket
• wicket