Idioms are vibrant, expressive phrases that add flair and depth to our language, often conveying meanings far beyond their literal words. They’re like linguistic treasures, enriching conversations with vivid imagery and cultural nuance. For anyone intrigued by wealth, success, or the finer things in life, idioms about being “rich” offer a playful and insightful way to explore concepts of prosperity, abundance, and extravagance. These phrases aren’t just about money—they reflect attitudes, lifestyles, and even the occasional pitfalls of affluence. In this article, you’ll discover a curated collection of idioms that capture the essence of wealth, complete with their meanings, example sentences, and alternative expressions. Plus, there’s a fun exercise to help you weave these idioms into your everyday vocabulary. So, let’s dive into this glittering world of wealth-related idioms and uncover the riches of language!
Idioms for Rich
1. Rolling in dough
Meaning: Having a lot of money or being very wealthy.
In a Sentence: After landing that lucrative tech contract, she’s been rolling in dough and treating her friends to lavish dinners.
Other Ways to Say: Swimming in money, Loaded with cash
2. Born with a silver spoon in your mouth
Meaning: Born into a wealthy or privileged family.
In a Sentence: Growing up in a mansion with private tutors, he was clearly born with a silver spoon in his mouth.
Other Ways to Say: Born into wealth, Raised in luxury
3. Filthy rich
Meaning: Extremely wealthy, often with a hint of excess.
In a Sentence: The CEO became filthy rich after his company’s stock skyrocketed, buying yachts and private islands.
Other Ways to Say: Stinking rich, Obscenely wealthy
4. Money to burn
Meaning: Having so much money that you can spend it recklessly.
In a Sentence: With her new fashion line selling out globally, she’s got money to burn on designer bags and exotic vacations.
Other Ways to Say: Cash to spare, More money than sense
5. Live like a king
Meaning: To live in luxury or extravagance.
In a Sentence: After his startup went public, he started living like a king, complete with a penthouse and personal chef.
Other Ways to Say: Live in splendor, Enjoy the high life
6. Rags to riches
Meaning: Going from poverty to great wealth.
In a Sentence: Her inspiring rags-to-riches story began in a small village and ended with a global media empire.
Other Ways to Say: From nothing to everything, Poor to prosperous
7. In the money
Meaning: Having a lot of money or being financially successful.
In a Sentence: After winning the lottery, they were suddenly in the money and planning a world tour.
Other Ways to Say: Flush with cash, Well-off
8. Cash cow
Meaning: A source of continuous profit or wealth.
In a Sentence: Their new app became a cash cow, generating millions in revenue without much effort.
Other Ways to Say: Money maker, Golden goose
9. Strike it rich
Meaning: To suddenly become very wealthy.
In a Sentence: He struck it rich when his cryptocurrency investment soared overnight, making him a millionaire.
Other Ways to Say: Hit the jackpot, Make a fortune
10. Loaded
Meaning: Extremely wealthy or having a lot of money.
In a Sentence: She showed up to the gala in a diamond-encrusted gown, clearly loaded and loving the attention.
Other Ways to Say: Rich as Croesus, Wealthy beyond measure
11. High on the hog
Meaning: Living luxuriously or extravagantly.
In a Sentence: With their new real estate empire, they’re living high on the hog, dining at Michelin-star restaurants nightly.
Other Ways to Say: Living large, In the lap of luxury
12. Feather your nest
Meaning: To accumulate wealth or resources for yourself.
In a Sentence: By investing wisely in stocks, she’s been feathering her nest for a comfortable retirement.
Other Ways to Say: Build your wealth, Secure your future
13. Have deep pockets
Meaning: To have a lot of money or financial resources.
In a Sentence: The investor with deep pockets funded the entire startup, ensuring its success from day one.
Other Ways to Say: Be well-funded, Have plenty of cash
14. Made of money
Meaning: Extremely wealthy, as if money is no object.
In a Sentence: He must be made of money to afford that private jet and a fleet of sports cars.
Other Ways to Say: Overflowing with wealth, Rich beyond imagination
15. Bring home the bacon
Meaning: To earn a living or provide financially.
In a Sentence: She’s been bringing home the bacon with her high-paying job as a corporate lawyer.
Other Ways to Say: Make good money, Provide the income
16. Money talks
Meaning: Wealth can influence or get things done.
In a Sentence: With a hefty donation, he proved that money talks when the museum named a wing after him.
Other Ways to Say: Cash is king, Wealth opens doors
17. Laugh all the way to the bank
Meaning: To make a lot of money easily or unexpectedly.
In a Sentence: Critics mocked her quirky invention, but she laughed all the way to the bank when it sold millions.
Other Ways to Say: Cash in big, Profit handsomely
18. On Easy Street
Meaning: In a state of financial comfort or wealth.
In a Sentence: After selling his company, he’s living on Easy Street, free from financial worries.
Other Ways to Say: Financially set, In clover
19. Pay through the nose
Meaning: To pay a very high price for something.
In a Sentence: They paid through the nose for that beachfront villa, but the view was worth every penny.
Other Ways to Say: Shell out a fortune, Pay a premium
20. Worth its weight in gold
Meaning: Extremely valuable or useful.
In a Sentence: Her financial advisor’s advice was worth its weight in gold, doubling her investments in a year.
Other Ways to Say: Priceless, Incredibly valuable
21. Golden handshake
Meaning: A generous payment given to someone leaving a job.
In a Sentence: The retiring executive received a golden handshake that allowed him to travel the world.
Other Ways to Say: Generous severance, Big payout
22. Break the bank
Meaning: To use up all your money or resources.
In a Sentence: Buying that luxury car won’t break the bank for someone as wealthy as she is.
Other Ways to Say: Drain your funds, Cost a fortune
23. Cost a pretty penny
Meaning: To be very expensive.
In a Sentence: That custom-made suit cost a pretty penny, but he looked impeccable at the gala.
Other Ways to Say: Pricey, Cost an arm and a leg
24. Rake in the dough
Meaning: To earn a lot of money quickly.
In a Sentence: Her viral video series is raking in the dough through sponsorships and ad revenue.
Other Ways to Say: Make a ton of money, Cash in big
25. Grease someone’s palm
Meaning: To bribe someone with money.
In a Sentence: To get the best table at the exclusive restaurant, he had to grease the maître d’s palm.
Other Ways to Say: Pay a bribe, Slip some cash
26. Penny-pincher
Meaning: Someone who is very frugal or stingy with money.
In a Sentence: Despite being a billionaire, he’s such a penny-pincher that he reuses paper towels.
Other Ways to Say: Tightwad, Cheapskate
27. Keep up with the Joneses
Meaning: To try to match the lifestyle or possessions of others.
In a Sentence: They bought a mansion just to keep up with the Joneses in their ritzy neighborhood.
Other Ways to Say: Compete with others, Match the neighbors
28. Money doesn’t grow on trees
Meaning: Money is not easy to come by and must be spent wisely.
In a Sentence: He wanted a new gaming console, but his parents reminded him that money doesn’t grow on trees.
Other Ways to Say: Cash isn’t free, Money is hard-earned
29. A fat cat
Meaning: A wealthy and influential person.
In a Sentence: The fat cat in the corner office always gets the final say on company decisions.
Other Ways to Say: Big shot, Tycoon
30. Live beyond your means
Meaning: To spend more money than you can afford.
In a Sentence: She was living beyond her means, splurging on designer clothes despite her modest salary.
Other Ways to Say: Overspend, Live extravagantly
31. Make a killing
Meaning: To make a large profit quickly.
In a Sentence: He made a killing flipping houses during the real estate boom.
Other Ways to Say: Score big, Profit massively
32. Golden opportunity
Meaning: A rare chance to achieve wealth or success.
In a Sentence: Starting her business during the tech boom was a golden opportunity she couldn’t pass up.
Other Ways to Say: Perfect chance, Once-in-a-lifetime shot
33. Bet your bottom dollar
Meaning: To be absolutely certain about something, often related to money.
In a Sentence: You can bet your bottom dollar that she’ll invest in that promising startup.
Other Ways to Say: Be dead certain, Absolutely sure
34. Put your money where your mouth is
Meaning: To back up your words with financial action.
In a Sentence: If you believe in this project, put your money where your mouth is and invest.
Other Ways to Say: Back it up with cash, Prove it financially
35. Money for old rope
Meaning: Money earned easily for little effort.
In a Sentence: Selling her old designs online was like money for old rope, bringing in thousands effortlessly.
Other Ways to Say: Easy money, Cash for nothing
36. A dime a dozen
Meaning: Something very common and of little value.
In a Sentence: In this market, cheap knockoff watches are a dime a dozen, but quality is rare.
Other Ways to Say: Common as dirt, Not worth much
37. Born on Easy Street
Meaning: Born into wealth or a life of ease.
In a Sentence: With trust funds and private schools, she was practically born on Easy Street.
Other Ways to Say: Born rich, Raised in wealth
38. Have the Midas touch
Meaning: To be very successful in making money.
In a Sentence: Everything he invests in turns to gold—he truly has the Midas touch.
Other Ways to Say: Golden touch, Always profitable
39. Pinch pennies
Meaning: To be very careful or stingy with money.
In a Sentence: Even with her fortune, she pinches pennies by shopping only during sales.
Other Ways to Say: Be frugal, Save every cent
40. Money burns a hole in your pocket
Meaning: Feeling the urge to spend money quickly.
In a Sentence: With his bonus in hand, money was burning a hole in his pocket, so he bought a new phone.
Other Ways to Say: Can’t wait to spend, Eager to splurge
41. Cash on the barrelhead
Meaning: Payment made immediately or upfront.
In a Sentence: The antique dealer demanded cash on the barrelhead for the rare painting.
Other Ways to Say: Pay upfront, Money now
42. A nest egg
Meaning: Money saved for the future.
In a Sentence: She’s been building a nest egg for years to buy her dream home.
Other Ways to Say: Savings stash, Rainy day fund
43. Rob Peter to pay Paul
Meaning: To solve one financial problem by creating another.
In a Sentence: Using one credit card to pay off another is just robbing Peter to pay Paul.
Other Ways to Say: Shift debt around, Borrow to pay
44. Worth a fortune
Meaning: Extremely valuable or expensive.
In a Sentence: That vintage car collection is worth a fortune and draws collectors worldwide.
Other Ways to Say: Priceless, Valued highly
45. Play the market
Meaning: To invest in the stock market, often speculatively.
In a Sentence: He’s been playing the market for years, turning small investments into substantial wealth.
Other Ways to Say: Trade stocks, Speculate financially
Practical Exercise
Fill in the blanks:
- After selling her startup, she was _______ in dough and bought a private island.
- His new restaurant chain became a _______ cow, earning profits month after month.
- She was _______ with a silver spoon in her mouth, never worrying about tuition or bills.
- By investing in tech stocks early, he _______ it rich and retired at 30.
- Their lavish lifestyle showed they were living _______ on the hog.
- The rare painting was _______ its weight in gold, fetching millions at auction.
- He had to _______ through the nose for the exclusive club membership.
- Her viral app was _______ in the dough, making her a millionaire overnight.
- Despite his wealth, he’s such a _______-pincher that he never tips generously.
- She saw the new market trend as a _______ opportunity to launch her product.
- You can _______ your bottom dollar that he’ll buy that luxury yacht soon.
- With every business venture succeeding, she clearly has the _______ touch.
Answers:
rolling, cash, born, struck, high, worth, pay, raking, penny, golden, bet, Midas
Conclusion
Idioms about wealth are more than just catchy phrases—they’re a window into how we think about money, success, and value. By incorporating these expressions into your conversations, you can add color, humor, and precision to your communication. Whether you’re joking about someone who’s “filthy rich” or admiring a “rags-to-riches” story, these idioms make language sparkle with meaning.
Practice using these phrases in real-life scenarios—at work, with friends, or even in writing. Over time, they’ll feel as natural as counting coins. Language is a currency of its own, and mastering idioms is like striking it rich in the world of words!