rather expensive

USAGE SUMMARY

"rather expensive" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
You can use it to describe something that is more expensive than expected. For example: "The new laptop was rather expensive, but it had all the features I needed."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Formal & Business

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

58 human-written examples

The rather expensive Al Palazzo: excellent.

The Guardian - Travel

Many of them are rather expensive.

The Economist

Also it's rather expensive for young people.

The Guardian - Arts

In fact, many of the wines were rather expensive.

The New York Times - Food

Electricity from the handful of suppliers is rather expensive.

The Guardian - Arts

However, the coating materials currently available are rather expensive and have low compressive and tensile strengths.

Construction and Building Materials

You can download a 30 day demo for free, but the regular version is rather expensive.

Stanford University

However, installing traffic detectors extensively over a metropolitan area can be rather expensive.

Control Engineering Practice

Carrying building materials into remote cold regions makes construction in these regions difficult and rather expensive.

Cold Regions Science and Technology

Leather-look coated track pants topshop.com; £38 Highly wearable, extremely flattering and rather expensive looking.

Independent

And all proceeds from the rather expensive merchandise go to children's charities, Nordstrom says.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "rather expensive" to soften the impact of stating something is expensive. It's suitable when you want to be polite or avoid sounding overly negative.

Common error

While "rather expensive" is generally acceptable, avoid overusing "rather" in highly formal writing. Opt for more precise alternatives like "considerably expensive" or "substantially costly" for a more professional tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "rather expensive" functions as an adverb-adjective combination modifying a noun. It expresses a degree of expensiveness that is more than average, but not excessively so. As Ludwig AI indicates, the phrase is grammatically correct and widely used.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

35%

Science

30%

Wiki

15%

Less common in

Formal & Business

10%

Academia

10%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "rather expensive" is a common and grammatically correct phrase used to describe something that costs more than expected, as confirmed by Ludwig AI. It functions as an adverb-adjective combination, softening the impact of stating something is simply "expensive". This phrase is versatile, appearing in news, scientific publications, and informal contexts, though more formal alternatives might be preferred in certain professional settings. Top sources include The Guardian, The Economist, and The New York Times, indicating its widespread acceptance in reputable publications. While you can say it's a flexible expression, be careful with its overuse in overly formal situations.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

quite pricey

Slightly more informal than "rather expensive".

somewhat costly

More formal and emphasizes the financial burden.

moderately high-priced

More descriptive and less common.

fairly steep

Emphasizes the high cost in a more figurative way.

not cheap

Simple and direct way of expressing that something is expensive.

on the higher end

Implies expensive relative to a range of prices.

a bit dear

British English, more informal.

relatively unaffordable

Focuses on the inability to afford.

prohibitively priced

Indicates something is so expensive it prevents purchase.

at a premium

Implies high quality and exclusivity contributing to the price.

FAQs

How can I use "rather expensive" in a sentence?

You can use "rather expensive" to describe something that costs more than you expected or more than similar items. For example, "The repairs were "rather expensive", but the car is now running perfectly."

What's a less formal way to say "rather expensive"?

Less formal alternatives include "pretty pricey", "quite pricey", or "a bit dear" (especially in British English).

Which is correct, "rather expensive" or "quite expensive"?

Both "rather expensive" and "quite expensive" are grammatically correct and widely used. They have similar meanings, indicating that something is more expensive than average. The choice between them depends on personal preference and the specific context.

What's the difference between "expensive" and "rather expensive"?

"Expensive" is a direct statement that something costs a lot of money. "Rather expensive" softens the statement, suggesting that something is somewhat more expensive than expected or desired. It's a more nuanced way of expressing cost.