† 1. Of a person: Given to profuse expenditure (of money, time, health, etc.); lavish. Of an employment: Tending to consume (time, health, etc.). Const. of. Obs.
1628. Earle, Microcosm., Universal Dun (Arb.), 74. Hee is now very expensiue of his time.
1655. Jer. Taylor, Golden Grove (1659), 55. Use what innocent refreshment you please … [but] let it not be too expensive of time.
a. 1656. Bp. Hall, Episc. & Liturg., Rem. Wks. (1660), 421. See whether any have been more expensive either of their ink, or their blood.
1704. Steele, Lying Lover, II. (1747), 36. Young Men of this Age are … so expensive both of their Health and Fortune.
1817. J. Gilchrist, Intell. Patrimony, 112. A regular arrangement of extracts … is … more expensive of time.
b. Fond of expense; extravagant. Now rare.
1650. Jer. Taylor, Holy Living (1727), 99. What is it to me … whether his wife be expensive.
a. 1699. Temple, Misc., III. 41 (J.). Frugal and Industrious Men are usually Safe and Friendly to the establish’d Government, as the Idle and Expensive are dangerous from their Humours or Necessities.
1782. Miss Burney, Cecilia, IX. v. She was far other than expensive.
1845. Carlyle, Cromwell (1873), I. 19. Sir Oliver, likewise an expensive man.
† c. ‘Liberal, generous, distributive’ (J.). rare.
1678. Sprat, Serm. (1722), 103. An active, expensive, indefatigable goodness … such as our Apostle calls … a Labour of Love.
2. Of a thing: Attended with expense; costly, dear. To come expensive: see COME 24 b. Also fig.
1634. Brereton, Trav. (Chetham Soc.), 70. The two late expensive and chargeable sieges of Buss.
1664. Evelyn, trans. Freart’s Archit., 119. Till … the remedy [be] impossible or expensive.
a. 1715. Burnet, Own Time (1734), II. 658. The Law of England is greatest Grievance of the Nation, very expensive and dilatory.
1726–31. Tindal, Rapin’s Hist. Eng. (1743), II. XVII. 109. He … lived at so expensive a rate.
1776. Adam Smith, W. N., I. xi. (1869), I. 232. To collect the produce of unimproved lands … would be too expensive.
1838. Dickens, Nich. Nick., iv. It’s expensive keeping boys at home.
1865. Bushnell, Vicar. Sacr., II. i. 192. God … will bend Himself to any most expensive, lowest burden of sympathy.
1883. Froude, Short Stud., IV. I. ii. 16. The father … was unable to give the child as expensive an education as he had desired.
b. transf. At cricket, of bowling or a bowler.
1882. Daily Tel., 27 May, 7/3. Barrett’s bowling was getting rather expensive.
1891. Daily News, 30 June, 3/7. Mr. Ferris, the Australian, proving very expensive.
† 3. quasi-adv. = EXPENSIVELY. Obs.
1796. Mrs. E. Parsons, Myst. Warning, IV. 236–7. They lived very expensive, and she had no great matter left to support her children.
Hence Expensively adv., in an expensive manner, with (great) expense.
a. 1631. Donne, Lett. to Sir H. G., in Poems, 279. Our court tooke the resolution … to receive him [the French Prince] solemnly, ceremoniously; and expensively.
1728. Swift, Lett. to Pope, 16 July, Wks. (1774), IX. 363 (J.). I never knew him live so great and expensively as he hath done since his return from exile.
1809–10. Coleridge, Friend (1865), 146. Our immense military force is better and more expensively clothed.
1886. Law Times Rep., LIII. 611/1. The liquidators could collect the outstanding calls … less expensively than the plaintiffs.
