Meaning
昂贵 means expensive or costly, indicating something has a high price or requires significant expenditure. It's commonly used to describe luxury goods, high-end services, or anything that costs considerably more than average.
Usage
This is a formal to neutral term for describing expensive items. It's more literary than the casual 贵 (guì) alone. Native speakers use it in written contexts, news reports, product descriptions, and formal speech when emphasizing the high cost of something. Often appears in contexts discussing luxury goods, real estate, or medical expenses.
Examples
- 01这家餐厅的菜很好吃，但是价格太昂贵了。, .The food at this restaurant is delicious, but the prices are too expensive.
- 02他为自己的错误付出了昂贵的代价。.He paid a high price for his mistake.
Characters
Common collocations
- 价格昂贵the price is expensive
- 昂贵的代价a high price to pay, costly consequence
- 极其昂贵extremely expensive
- 昂贵的礼物expensive gift
Antonyms
Origin
The character 昂 originally meant to lift or raise high, while 贵 means expensive or precious. Together they literally suggest 'raised high in price,' emphasizing something that is elevated in cost.