EXPENSIVE means costing a lot of money or having a high price. In word games, it's a premium 9-letter word featuring the high-value X tile (8 points) that can lead to impressive scores.
Yes. EXPENSIVE is in the Scrabble-style word list used by our tools and scores 21 points in Scrabble, 24 in Words With Friends and 22 in Wordfeud (base tile values, no board multipliers). Always check the dictionary your game uses (NWL, Collins or the WWF list) before playing.
| Letter | E | X | P | E | N | S | I | V | E | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scrabble | 1 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 21 |
| Words With Friends | 1 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 24 |
| Wordfeud | 1 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 22 |
EXPENSIVE describes something that costs a large amount of money, requires significant financial outlay, or is priced at a premium. It's the opposite of cheap or affordable, often implying high quality, luxury, or exclusivity.
In word games, EXPENSIVE is a powerhouse play worth {gameData[selectedGame].points} base points. The X tile alone contributes 8 points, making this word particularly valuable when placed strategically on premium squares.
As a 9-letter word, EXPENSIVE can be challenging to place but rewarding when successful. Expert players often build towards playing this word by creating opportunities with shorter words containing compatible letters like EX-, -IVE, or -PENS-.
EXPENSIVE derives from the Latin "expensus," past participle of "expendere" meaning "to weigh out" or "pay out." It entered English in the early 17th century, initially meaning "given to expenditure" before evolving to mean "costly" by the 1630s. The word literally suggests something that requires much "expense" or outlay.
Anagrams: no other word uses exactly the letters of EXPENSIVE.
Hooks: no front hooks; no back hooks.
Words inside EXPENSIVE: 101 shorter words can be made from these letters – highest scoring: EXPENSEVIXENSVEXESVIXENPIXESEXINESVEXEXINENIXESPENSIVEPIXVESPINE. See all words from EXPENSIVE.