Is Expensive Adjective Or Adverb? 3 Facts(When & Examples)

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Extravagant, lavish, overpriced, etc. are the words that can best describe the word “expensive” in the best manner. Let us check if the word “expensive” is an adjective or adverb.

The word “expensive” can be certainly marked as an adjective if it is used in a sentence to modify or describe any noun, pronoun, or noun equivalent to depict the meaning very costly. The word “expensive” can not be used as an adverb as the word “expensively” is the adverbial form of “expensive”.

Now, we will learn important facts and explanations related to the use of the adjective and adverbial form of the word “expensive.”

When is “expensive” an adjective?

Adjectives help us to know various important particulars about a noun or noun equivalent. Let us check when the word “expensive” can be used as an adjective.

The word “expensive” can certainly be classified as an adjective in a sentence where it is used to modify a specific noun or noun equivalent to depict meanings such as extravagant, valuable, lavish, and so on.

Now, we will learn various usages of the adjective “expensive” along with related examples and explanations.

Usage of the adjective “expensive”ExampleExplanation
1. Particular of a singular noun can be outlined with the help of the adjective “expensive.”My teacher does not like to use the expensive pen given to him by my father because he believes that the function of a pen is to write and a pen with even the smallest amount can serve the same purpose.The adjective “expensive” is in use to show the high price of the singular noun pen, which was given to the teacher by the speaker’s father.
2. Particulars of a plural noun can be outlined with the help of the adjective “expensive.”Poor people are not fond of expensive clothes as they are honest from the heart and happy even with their normal daily clothing.The adjective “expensive” is in use to show the high price of the plural noun clothes, which is not a usual demand of poor people.
3. Particulars of a singular noun phrase can be outlined with the help of the adjective “expensive.”My teacher does not like to use the expensive ink pen given by my father because he believes that the function of a pen is to write and a pen with even the smallest amount can serve the same purpose.The adjective “expensive” is used to show the high price of the singular noun phrase ink pen, which was given to the teacher by the speaker’s father.
4. Particulars of a plural noun phrase can be outlined with the help of the adjective “expensive.”Poor people are not fond of expensive embroidered clothes as they are honest from the heart and happy even with their normal daily clothing.The adjective “expensive” is in use to show the high price of the plural noun embroidered clothes, which is not a usual demand of poor people.
5. Particulars of a singular pronoun can be outlined with the help of the adjective “expensive.”My grandmother used to wear a gold embroidered dress; it was very expensive and rare to have in a collection.The adjective “expensive” is in use to show the high price of the singular pronoun it. Here, the pronoun it refers to the singular noun gold embroidered noun.
6. Particulars of a plural pronoun can be outlined with the help of the adjective “expensive.”I have many pens, and some of them were given to me by my rich uncle. They are very expensive as they are all handcrafted wooden products.The adjective “expensive” is in use to show the high price of the plural pronoun they. Here, the pronoun they refers to the plural noun pens.
7.Alikeness among nouns or noun equivalents can be attributed to the help of the adjective “expensive”.I think your watch is as expensive as my father’s watch, as both of them are from the same brand.The adjective “expensive” is in use to show the alikeness between two watches.
8.Juxtaposition among nouns or noun equivalents can be attributed with the help of the adjective “expensive”.I think your watch is more expensive than the watch of my father as they look alike but are from different brands.The adjective “expensive” is in use to do the comparison between the watch of the speaker’s father and the watch of the addressed person.
9.Supremacy of any noun or noun equivalent can be attributed with the help of the adjective “expensive”.My elder brother’s watch is the most expensive watch in our family as there is a diamond engraved on its dial.The adjective “expensive” is in use to show the superiority of the noun, that is, speaker’s elder brother’s watch over all the watches in the family.
Usage of the adjective “expensive”

Is “expensive” a descriptive adjective?

A descriptive adjective usually provides various descriptive information about a noun or noun equivalent. Let us check if the word “expensive” is a descriptive adjective or not.

The adjective “expensive” belongs to the descriptive group of adjectives among eight types of adjectives. It usually describes the high price or overprice of a specific noun, pronoun, or noun equivalent in a sentence.

When we can use the descriptive adjective “expensive”?

We can use the descriptive adjective in the below-listed situations. Related examples and explanations are also given here.

Usage of the descriptive adjective “expensive”ExampleExplanation
To state that any product costs a lot of moneyYour earrings look very expensive as the diamonds in them sparkle like a rainbow.The adjective “expensive” can be certainly marked as a descriptive adjective as it describes the high price of the addressed person’s diamond engraved earrings.
Usage of the descriptive adjective “expensive”

Is “expensive” an adverb?

Most of the time we can see addition of the suffix +ly to the root word to frame an adverbial form. Let us see if the word “expensive” can be an adverb or not.

The word “expensive” can not be used as an adverb in a sentence as the word “expensive” is an adjective form. The adverbial form “expensively” can be marked as an adverbial form of the adjective “expensive”.

When we can use the adverb “expensively”?

We can use the adverb “expensively” when we need to convey the meaning in an expensive manner or in a costly manner in a specific sentence.

Usage of the adverb “expensively”ExampleExplanation
The meaning in an expensive or costly manner can be attributed to the help of the adverb “expensively.”Renu likes to decorate her vanity room expensively to impress her college friends.The adverb “expensively” is in use to modify the activity decoration of the vanity room, which the subject Renu is doing to impress her college friends.
Usage of the adverb “expensively”

Conclusion –

There are certain adverbs which we mainly use along with the adjective “expensive” to create grandeur from the adjective “expensive”. Examples of those adverbs are outrageously, ruinously, very, extremely, etc.