adj. prenom. same as expensive, but in an absolute sense; -- referring to items of a type which are all expensive, such as automobiles, refrigerators, or large-screen television sets. The roaring stock market led to an increase in the purchase of big-ticket items during the 1996 Christmas season.cheap Syn. -- costly, dear, high-priced, pricey, pricy. [ WordNet 1.5 ]