astronomical
describes an amount that is extremely large
an astronomical rent/bill/price/fee
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
astronomical
as‧tro‧nom‧i‧cal /ˌæstrəˈnɒmɪkəl◂ $ -ˈnɑː-/ BrE AmE adjective
1. informal astronomical prices, costs etc are extremely high
2. [only before noun] relating to the scientific study of the stars
—astronomically /-kli/ adverb:
astronomically high rents
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ expensive costing a lot of money: an expensive car | Apartments in the city are very expensive. | An underground train system is expensive to build.
▪ high costing a lot of money.You use high about rents/fees/prices/costs. Don’t use expensive with these words: Rents are very high in this area. | Lawyers charge high fees. | the high cost of living in Japan
▪ dear [not before noun] British English spoken expensive compared to the usual price: £3.50 seems rather dear for a cup of coffee.
▪ pricey /ˈpraɪsi/ informal expensive: The clothes are beautiful but pricey.
▪ costly expensive in a way that wastes money: Upgrading the system would be very costly. | They were anxious to avoid a costly legal battle.
▪ cost a fortune informal to be very expensive: The necklace must have cost a fortune!
▪ exorbitant /ɪɡˈzɔːbətənt, ɪɡˈzɔːbɪtənt $ -ɔːr-/ much too expensive: Some accountants charge exorbitant fees.
▪ astronomical astronomical prices, costs, and fees are extremely high: the astronomical cost of developing a new spacecraft | the astronomical prices which some people had paid for their seats | The cost of living is astronomical.
▪ overpriced too expensive and not worth the price: The DVDs were vastly overpriced.
▪ somebody can’t afford something someone does not have enough money to buy or do something: Most people can’t afford to send their children to private schools.
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
astronomical
astro·nom·ic·al [ˌæstrəˈnɒmɪkl] [ˌæstrəˈnɑːmɪkl] adjective
1. connected with astronomy
• astronomical observations
2. (also astro·nom·ic) (informal) (of an amount, a price, etc.) very large
• the astronomical costs of land for building
• The figures are astronomical.
Derived Word: astronomically
Word Origin:
[astronomical astronomically] mid 16th cent.: via Latin from Greek astronomikos, from astronomia, from Greek, from astronomos (adjective) ‘star-arranging’.
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition
astronomical / ˌæs.trəˈnɒm.ɪ.k ə l / / -ˈnɑː.mɪ- / adjective ( also astronomic ) (LARGE)
informal describes an amount that is extremely large:
an astronomical rent/bill/price/fee
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary
astronomical
[æ̱strənɒ̱mɪk(ə)l]
1) ADJ (emphasis) If you describe an amount, especially the cost of something as astronomical, you are emphasizing that it is very large indeed.
Houses in the village are going for astronomical prices...
The cost will be astronomical.
Derived words:
astronomically [æ̱strənɒ̱mɪkli] ADV ADV adj, ADV after v He was astronomically wealthy... House prices had risen astronomically.
2) ADJ: usu ADJ n Astronomical means relating to astronomy.
The British Astronomical Association.
Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary
astronomical
as·tro·nom·i·cal /ˌæstrəˈnɑːmɪkəl/ also as·tro·nom·ic /ˌæstrəˈnɑːmɪk/ adj
1 : of or relating to astronomy
• astronomical research
2 : extremely large
• The cost of the office building was astronomical.
• We got an astronomical telephone bill this month.
- as·tro·nom·i·cal·ly /ˌæstrəˈnɑːmɪkli/ adv
• The cost of health care has risen astronomically.
• an astronomically large amount of money