We all know how expensive things have become in our daily lives. From grocery shopping to paying bills, prices keep going up. Sometimes, it feels like we don’t have enough words to describe just how costly something is. In this blog, we will explore expensive idioms and phrases that will help you say something is expensive in many interesting and funny ways. Whether you want to talk about how much you paid or simply express surprise about the high cost, this list of phrases and idioms for expensive things you should know will make your spoken English more fluent and expressive. Learn how to say something is expensive clearly and confidently with these popular English phrases to say something is super expensive.
20+ Words, Phrases and Idioms for Expensive with Hindi Meanings
Not everyone has lots of money to spend, so when something is pricey or costs a lot, it’s useful to know different ways to say it. Instead of always using the word “expensive,” you can use fun and powerful phrases that will enrich your spoken English. From funny ways to say something is expensive to classic idioms and phrases, these expressions are given with Hindi meanings and examples to help you understand them better.
- Break the bank
English Meaning: To cost so much money that it is difficult or nearly impossible to pay.
Hindi Meaning: इतना महंगा कि जेब खाली हो जाये।
Example: Buying a new car in India can break the bank for a middle-class family.
मध्यम-वर्गी परिवार के लिए नई गाडी खरीदना इतना महंगा होता है कि उनकी जेब खाली हो जाये।
- Pay through the nose
English Meaning: To pay a lot more money than normal or fair.
Hindi Meaning: ज़रूरत से ज़्यादा पैसा खर्च करना।
Example: During festivals, taxi fares in big cities often make you pay through the nose.
त्योहारों के समय, बड़े शहरों में taxi का भाड़ा ज़रूरत से ज़्यादा महंगा हो जाता है।
- Cost a pretty penny
English Meaning: To be quite expensive and cost a lot of money.
Hindi Meaning: बहुत ज़्यादा महंगा होना कि ज़्यादा पैसे खर्च हो जाएं।
Example: That wedding gift she bought cost a pretty penny.
शादी का तोहफा जो उसने खरीदा था वो बहुत महंगा था जिसमें बहुत पैसे खर्च हो गए।
- Highway robbery
English Meaning: Charging an unfairly high price.
Hindi Meaning: बहुत ज़्यादा महंगा होना जैसे कि लूट हो रही हो।
Example: Paying ₹200 for a bottle of water at the airport is highway robbery.
Airport पर पानी की बोतल के लिए 200 रूपए देना बहुत महंगा है, मानो जैसे कि लूट हो रही हो।
- Cost a fortune
English Meaning: To be very expensive.
Hindi Meaning: ज़रूरत से ज़्यादा महंगा।
Example: Medical treatment in a private hospital can cost a fortune.
प्राइवेट अस्पताल में इलाज करवाना ज़रूरत से ज़्यादा महंगा हो सकता है।
- Break your wallet
English Meaning: To spend a lot of money, making your wallet empty.
Hindi Meaning: इतना ज़्यादा पैसे खर्च करना कि जेब खाली हो जाये।
Example: Celebrating Diwali with new clothes and gifts can break your wallet.
दिवाली में नए कपडे और तोहफे खरीदना इतना महंगा होता है कि आपकी पूरी जेब खाली हो जाये।
- That’s a bit steep
English Meaning: The price is higher than expected or reasonable.
Hindi Meaning: उम्मीद या ज़रूरत से ज़्यादा महंगा होना।
Example: ₹150 for two cups of tea is a bit steep in your local tea stall.
एक साधारण से चाय के ठेले पर दो कप चाय के 150 रूपए देना ज़रूरत से ज़्यादा महंगा है।
- Pay top dollar
English Meaning: To pay the highest price for something.
Hindi Meaning: किसी चीज़ के लिए सबसे ज़्यादा पैसे देना।
Example: Young professionals pay top dollar to live near their office in Mumbai.
मुंबई में नए और जवना professionals office के पास रहने के लिए बहुत ज़्यादा पैसे देते हैं।
- Daylight robbery
English Meaning: Charging an unfairly high price, almost openly cheating.
Hindi Meaning: खुलेआम बहुत ज्यादा महंगा लगाना।
Example: Taxi drivers demanding triple fare during the rain is daylight robbery.
बारिश के दौरान टैक्सी चलाने वाले तीन गुना ज़्यादा भाड़ा मांगकर खुलेआम महंगाई फैला रहे हैं।
- Outside by budget
English Meaning: Costs more than what one can afford.
Hindi Meaning: अपनी पहुंच से ज़्यादा महंगा होना।
Example: That foreign vacation is outside my budget this year.
विदेश में छुट्टियां मनाना इतना महंगा है कि मेरी पहुंच से बाहर है।
- An Arm and a Leg
English Meaning: So expensive, it feels like you have to give up something important to afford it.
Hindi Meaning: इतना महंगा कि आपने अपनी कोइ ज़रूरी चीज़ बेचकर उसे खरीदा है।
Example: College hostel fees these days cost an arm and a leg compared to ten years ago.
पिछले दस सालों में कॉलेज के hostel fees इतनी ज़्यादा बढ़ गयी है कि आपको अपनी चीज़ें दांव पर लगाकर उसे भरना पड़ता है।
- Total rip-off
English Meaning: Something that is way overpriced and not worth it.
Hindi Meaning: ज़रूरत से ज़्यादा महंगा जो इतना कीमती भी न हो।
Example: Paying 500 for this small pastry is a total rip-off.
इतनी छोटी सी pastry के लिए 500 रूपए देना ज़रूरत से ज़्यादा महंगा है और ये इतनी कीमती भी नहीं है।
- Exorbitant
English Meaning: More expensive than necessary, much more than is reasonable.
Hindi Meaning: ज़रूरत से ज़्यादा महंगा।
Example: Wedding photographer charges in big cities are often exorbitant.
बड़े शहरों में शादी के photographer की फीस अक्सर ज़रूरत से ज़्यादा महंगी होती है।
- Astronomical
English Meaning: Extremely high (especially for prices or amounts).
Hindi Meaning: बहुत ज़्यादा महंगा।
Example: The price of cricket final tickets sometimes reaches astronomical levels.
क्रिकेट के finals के टिकट कभी-कभी ज़रूरत से ज़्यादा महंगे हो जाते हैं।
- Beyond my reach
English Meaning: Something is too expensive or difficult for me to afford or get.
Hindi Meaning: कोई चीज़ इतनी ज़्यादा महंगी हो की मैं उसे खरीद न पाऊँ या उसके लिए पैसे न जूता पाऊँ।
Example: A luxury car like a Mercedes is beyond my reach right now.
Mercedes जैसी महंगी गाडी खरीदना मेरी पहुँच से बाहर है।
- Pay top dollar
English Meaning: To pay the highest price for something, even if it costs a lot.
Hindi Meaning: किसी चीज़ का सबसे ज़्यादा दाम देना।
Example: People pay top dollar to stay in 5-star hotels during festivals in Delhi.
दिल्ली में त्योहारों के दौरान लोग 5-star hotel में रुकने के लिए काफी ज़्यादा दाम देते हैं।
- Going to have to sell a kidney
English Meaning: A funny way of saying something is extremely expensive and hard to afford.
Hindi Meaning: मज़ाकिया तरीके से कहना कि इतना महंगा कि किडनी बेचनी पड़ जाये।
Example: That new iPhone costs so much, I’ll have to sell a kidney.
नया iPhone इतना महंगा है कि इसे खरीदने के लिए मुझे अपनी किडनी बेचनी पड़ जाएगी।
- Beyond my purse
English Meaning: Something costs more money than I have or can spend.
Hindi Meaning: मेरे बजट से बाहर, मेरे पास इतना पैसा नहीं है।
Example: The rent for that apartment in Mumbai is beyond my purse.
मुंबई में किराये के घर में रहना मेरे बजट से बाहर है, मेरे पास इतने पैसे नहीं है।
- Like a king’s ransom
English Meaning: Very expensive, costing a huge amount of money.
Hindi Meaning: इतना महंगा, जिसे खरीदने में काफी पैसे लगें।
Example: The wedding venue booked by my cousin cost like a king’s ransom.
मेरे भाई ने जो शादी का venue बुक किया था वो इतना महंगा था की उसे खरीदने में मेरे काफी पैसे लग गए।
- Cost the earth
English Meaning: To be very expensive or cost a lot.
Hindi Meaning: बहुत महंगा होना।
Example: The imported Swiss chocolate costs the earth in India.
विदेश से मंगवाई हुई Swiss chocolate भारत में बहुत महंगी हैं।
- Extortionate
English Meaning: Prices that are unfairly high, more than they should be.
Hindi Meaning: ज़बरदस्ती ज्यादा दाम लगाना।
Example: The price of water bottles at the cricket stadium is extortionate.
क्रिकेट स्टेडियम के बाहर पानी की बोतल के ज़बरदस्ती ज़्यादा दाम लगा रहे थे।
- Gouge
English Meaning: To charge someone unfairly or much more than usual.
Hindi Meaning: गलत तरीके से या ज़्यादा पैसे लेना।
Example: During floods, some shops gouge customers by increasing prices of essentials.
बाढ़ के समय, कुछ दुकानदार ज़रूरी सामानों का दाम बढाकर ग्राहकों से गलत तरीके से या ज़्यादा पैसे मांग रहे थे।
Conclusion
Now you have many new and creative ways to express when something is costly or overpriced. Using these expensive idioms and phrases will help you explain prices and costs clearly while adding colours to your English. Next time you see a high price tag, try one of these expressions instead of just saying “expensive.” This will make your language more interesting and help you connect better in daily conversations and even in business. Keep practicing these English phrases to say something is super expensive and watch your English speaking skills improve quickly. If you want to work on your spoken English skills, then you can consider joining a spoken English course online.
