sticker shock
noun
: astonishment and dismay experienced on being informed of a product's unexpectedly high price
Example Sentences
We left the store suffering severe sticker shock.
Recent Examples on the Web Americans have been routinely faced with sticker shock at the supermarket in the past year. 
Cnn Business, CNN, 10 Aug. 2022 When Blair Vorsatz started apartment hunting in San Francisco this year after living out of state for more than a decade, the 30-year-old Bay Area native braced himself for sticker shock. E.b. Solomont, WSJ, 30 June 2022 The Quincy Democrat’s remarks offered a window into how the Legislature could address an issue many parents say demands sweeping change and traditionally has been met with sticker shock by policy makers. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 23 Mar. 2022 Those views come with a high price beyond sticker shock, however. NBC News, 31 Oct. 2021 If these were being offered on the secondary market, offers that exorbitant might be expected… but what gave fans sticker shock was that these were face value tickets, with no middleman jacking up the price. Chris Willman, Variety, 20 July 2022 And even for the students who are taking out new loans, the higher rate isn’t likely to create a huge sticker shock. Matt Grossman, WSJ, 10 May 2022 Americans are already experiencing some serious sticker shock at grocery stores, but they better get used to it. Will Daniel, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2022 To lessen the sticker shock, city officials wanted to raise the property taxes in two or three increments over the next five years. Mark Eddington, The Salt Lake Tribune, 19 Aug. 2022 See More
Cnn Business, CNN, 10 Aug. 2022 When Blair Vorsatz started apartment hunting in San Francisco this year after living out of state for more than a decade, the 30-year-old Bay Area native braced himself for sticker shock. E.b. Solomont, WSJ, 30 June 2022 The Quincy Democrat’s remarks offered a window into how the Legislature could address an issue many parents say demands sweeping change and traditionally has been met with sticker shock by policy makers. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 23 Mar. 2022 Those views come with a high price beyond sticker shock, however. NBC News, 31 Oct. 2021 If these were being offered on the secondary market, offers that exorbitant might be expected… but what gave fans sticker shock was that these were face value tickets, with no middleman jacking up the price. Chris Willman, Variety, 20 July 2022 And even for the students who are taking out new loans, the higher rate isn’t likely to create a huge sticker shock. Matt Grossman, WSJ, 10 May 2022 Americans are already experiencing some serious sticker shock at grocery stores, but they better get used to it. Will Daniel, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2022 To lessen the sticker shock, city officials wanted to raise the property taxes in two or three increments over the next five years. Mark Eddington, The Salt Lake Tribune, 19 Aug. 2022 See More Word History
First Known Use
1981, in the meaning defined above