sticker shock

noun

: astonishment and dismay experienced on being informed of a product's unexpectedly high price

Examples of sticker shock in a Sentence

We left the store suffering severe sticker shock.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Even big ticket purchases, like a $2,000 mattress set, would trigger sticker shock. Francisco Velasquez, Quartz, 4 Nov. 2024 But economic pain — inflation, a lack of affordable housing, sticker shock when filling gas tanks and grocery carts, fears about steady employment and sustainable wages that can support their families — is acute in conversations with voters in Nevada. Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2024 However, as Moody’s notes, that sticker shock is offset by the fact that the typical household is also making $1,193 more per month than January 2021. Matt Egan, CNN, 29 Oct. 2024 Fearing a political backlash to the sticker shock of higher rates, the California Public Utilities Commission has allowed PG&E to increase rates only in installments (4 hikes in 2024 alone). Nives Dolsak and Aseem Prakash, Forbes, 20 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for sticker shock 

Word History

First Known Use

1981, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sticker shock was in 1981

Dictionary Entries Near sticker shock

Cite this Entry

“Sticker shock.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sticker%20shock. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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