Exorbitant – Word of the Day for IELTS Speaking & Writing

Enhancing your vocabulary with formal and precise adjectives can significantly improve your Lexical Resource score in IELTS. Today’s word, exorbitant, is especially useful when discussing prices, costs, expenses, or situations where something is unreasonably high. Using this adjective in both Speaking and Writing helps you describe financial matters or critical evaluations clearly and formally.

Meaning of “Exorbitant”

Adjective: Much higher than what is reasonable or expected, especially in terms of price, fee, or cost.
Using “exorbitant” allows you to describe extreme situations in a sophisticated and academic manner.

Synonyms

• Expensive, Astronomical, Costly, Pricey

Antonyms

• Affordable, Reasonable, Moderate, Cheap

Collocations

• Noun + Exorbitant: Fee, Price, Rent, Charge, Cost
• Adverb + Exorbitant: Extremely, Totally, Outrageously

Examples in Context

IELTS Speaking:

• “The rent for that apartment was exorbitant, so I had to look for a cheaper place.”
• “I couldn’t believe the exorbitant cost of mobile data packages in that country.”
• “The admission fee to the museum seemed exorbitant compared to other attractions.”

IELTS Writing:

• “The company faced criticism for charging exorbitant prices for essential medicines.”
• “Many consumers are struggling due to the exorbitant fees associated with higher education.”
• “The government should regulate exorbitant energy tariffs to prevent public discontent.”

IELTS Speaking Part 2 Sample

Topic: Describe something you bought but were not happy with.

Sample Answer:
“In my life, I have made many transactions that gave me both satisfaction and discontent. However, if I had to pick one item that really let me down, it would be the birthday cake I bought for my sister two years ago. One reason I was unhappy was its exorbitant price. On that day, I had an emergency at work and spent almost the entire day resolving it. Although it cost me an arm and a leg, I bought the cake because it was the only bakery open late. Unfortunately, the cake was of terrible quality. It tasted overly sweet and was not appetising at all. I regretted choosing this cake instead of a more practical gift. After this experience, I became more careful to make sensible buying decisions and avoid splashing out unnecessarily.”

Vocabulary from the sample:

• Transaction (n): an instance of buying or selling something
• Discontent (n): dissatisfaction or lack of contentment
• Pick out (phrasal verb): to choose
• Let someone down (expression): fail to meet expectations
• Cost an arm and a leg (idiom): extremely expensive
• Appetising (adj): delicious, appealing to taste
• Splash out (phrasal verb): spend a lot of money
• Sensible (adj): wise and practical

IELTS Writing Task 2 Sample Sentence

“Many people are struggling due to the exorbitant tuition fees in private universities, which prevents equal access to higher education.”

Practice Exercise

Complete the sentences with “exorbitant” or one of its synonyms:

1. The hotel charged an __________ fee for a single night’s stay.
2. The cost of imported fruits has become __________ in recent months.
3. Students complained about the __________ tuition fees at the new institute.
4. I could not buy the dress because its price was __________.
5. Many tourists were surprised by the __________ entry charges at the theme park.

Answer Key:

1. exorbitant
2. astronomical
3. exorbitant
4. costly
5. exorbitant

Using the adjective exorbitant allows IELTS candidates to describe unreasonably high costs or extreme situations in a formal and precise manner. Practising this word in both Speaking and Writing helps convey your opinions clearly and academically, strengthening your lexical range and improving your chances of achieving higher band scores.

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