king's ransom
Vast demanded payment
A king's ransom is an enormous sum of money—the kind demanded to release a captured monarch.
The phrase appears almost exclusively in figurative contexts: They paid a king's ransom for that house.
It emphasizes not just high cost but extravagant, possibly unreasonable expense.
- exorbitantUnreasonably high, as costs
- arm and a legIdiom for excessive price
- costlyHigh in price
- richesAbundant valuable possessions
- fortuneWealth or destiny
invaluable · treasure · staggering · priceless · affluence · extravagance · monumental · unparalleled · hostage · gold · excessive · astronomical · lavish · jewels · abundance · coffers · ill-gotten gains · golden goose
- hidden treasureburied gold, pirate loot, sunken chest, sunken treasure, treasure chest
- treasuretreasures, treasure trove, gold coins, jewels, doubloons
monetary value/cost
king's ransompittance
Insultingly small payment
peanuts · pocket change · chicken feed · small change · next to nothing
king, kingdom, ransom, kings, kingpin, kingdoms, kingly, kingship, ransoms