In the English language, idioms paint vivid pictures using a few choice words, especially when describing wealth. These colorful expressions enrich our conversations, providing a shorthand to express complex ideas quickly and memorably. In this post, we’ll explore 20 idioms that vividly depict wealth, each with its own unique flavor and context.
Idioms That Describe Wealth
1. Born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth
Meaning: Born into a wealthy family.
Example: He’s always had luxury, born with a silver spoon.
2. Strike it rich
Meaning: To suddenly become very wealthy.
Example: She struck it rich with her tech startup.
3. Rolling in dough
Meaning: Having a lot of money.
Example: After the deal, he was rolling in dough.
4. Worth its weight in gold
Meaning: Extremely valuable.
Example: Good advice is often worth its weight in gold.
5. Money to burn
Meaning: Having more money than one needs.
Example: With money to burn, he travels constantly.
6. As rich as Croesus
Meaning: Extremely wealthy.
Example: He’s as rich as Croesus, owning multiple houses.
7. On Easy Street
Meaning: Living in comfort due to wealth.
Example: Winning the lottery put her on Easy Street.
8. Deep pockets
Meaning: Having a lot of money available.
Example: The company’s deep pockets saved it during the crisis.
9. Filthy rich
Meaning: Very wealthy.
Example: With those mansions, they are filthy rich.
10. Penny pincher
Meaning: Someone who is very frugal.
Example: Even the wealthy can be penny pinchers.
11. Nest egg
Meaning: Savings set aside for the future.
Example: They’ve built a sizable nest egg.
12. Golden parachute
Meaning: A large payment to a departing executive.
Example: He left with a golden parachute.
13. Midas touch
Meaning: The ability to make money easily.
Example: Everything she touches turns to gold, a real Midas touch.
14. Pay dirt
Meaning: A source of substantial profit.
Example: His new investment hit pay dirt.
15. Sitting on a gold mine
Meaning: Owning something extremely valuable.
Example: They’re sitting on a gold mine with that property.
16. To have more money than sense
Meaning: Spending money foolishly.
Example: He has more money than sense, buying useless gadgets.
17. Rags to riches
Meaning: To go from poor to wealthy.
Example: Her story is a classic rags to riches tale.
18. Making a killing
Meaning: Earning a lot of money quickly.
Example: He made a killing in the stock market.
19. Cash cow
Meaning: A business that generates a steady return of profits.
Example: That franchise is a real cash cow.
20. Break the bank
Meaning: To cost a lot of money.
Example: Buying that car will break the bank.
