king's ransom
king's ransom
A very large sum of money. I've always wanted to vacation in Hawaii, but the plane tickets cost a king's ransom.
See also: ransom
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
*king's ransom
Fig. a great deal of money. (To pay an amount as large as one might have to pay to get back a king held for ransom. *Typically: cost ~; pay ~; spend~.) I would like to buy a nice watch, but I don't want to pay a king's ransom for it. It's a lovely house. I bet it cost a king's ransom.
See also: ransom
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
king's ransom
A huge sum of money, as in That handmade rug must have cost a king's ransom. This metaphoric expression originally referred to the sum required to release a king from captivity. [Late 1400s]
See also: ransom
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
a king's ransom
mainly BRITISHA king's ransom is an extremely large sum of money. She was paid a king's ransom for a five-minute appearance in the film. With so few skilled electricians available, these people can charge a king's ransom for their services.
See also: ransom
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.
a king's ransom
a huge amount of money; a fortune.In feudal times prisoners of war were freed for sums in keeping with their rank, so a king, as the highest-ranking individual, commanded the greatest ransom.
See also: ransom
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
a ˌking’s ˈransom
(literary) a very large amount of money: We don’t exactly get paid a king’s ransom in this job.In the past, if a king was captured in a war, his country would pay a ransom for his release.See also: ransom
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
- a king's ransom
- hold (someone) for ransom
- hold for ransom
- ain’t 1
- go out of
- other than
- other than (something)
- pillow-biter
- let something drop
- on one