pretty penny
Costs you dearly
A pretty penny is a substantial sum of money, usually more than expected or desired: That renovation cost us a pretty penny.
The phrase typically appears with verbs like cost, pay, or spend, emphasizing that something was expensive.
Despite the diminutive "penny," the expression always means the opposite—a significant amount.
Costing much money
- priceyCosting a lot
- costlyHigh in price
- overpricedCosting more than warranted
- exorbitantUnreasonably high, as costs
steep · high-priced · premium · prohibitive · hefty · splurge · investment · fortune
Degree of importance
- investmentDeploying capital for returns
- expenditureMoney paid out
- outlayMoney paid for something
- paymentFulfilling a financial obligation
sum · amount · price · fee · charge · savings · nest egg · hard-earned
expensive
Costing much money
- priceyCosting a lot
- costlyHigh in price
- overpricedCosting more than warranted
exorbitant · steep · high-priced · premium · prohibitive · hefty · splurge · investment · fortune · bundle
worth
Degree of importance
- investmentDeploying capital for returns
- expenditureMoney paid out
- outlayMoney paid for something
payment · sum · amount · price · fee · charge · savings · nest egg · hard-earned · money's worth
lavish
Abundant beyond necessity
- extravagantExceeding sensible bounds
- opulentOstentatiously wealthy
- sumptuousSplendidly rich and costly
plush · upscale · decadent · indulgent · splendor · grandeur · elegance · affluence · swanky · posh
- money idiomsarm and a leg, break the bank, cheapskate, tightwad, deep pockets
- luxuryluxury, wealth, luxurious, opulent, opulence
- money slangbucks, dough, moolah, cheddar, cash
pretty pennypittance
Insultingly small payment
pocket change · next to nothing · small change · bargain · dirt cheap
pretty, penny, pennies, penniless, prettify, prettiest, prettier, prettiness, halfpenny