Skip to main content
a ton of money

a ton of money

36 2.8
A very large amount of money
  • idiom
  • Informal
: un montón de dinero
  • See, we pay and then you come and you write songs and then we release them, and you make a ton of money.

And that is how you make a ton of money from investing in yourself.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • We made a ton of money with this little thing.

  • I made a ton of money on your last fight in '73.

  • So no, people do not need a ton of money to get started.

  • And so you wind up spending a ton of money on exercise to try to help yourself lose weight.

  • So So what happens is they start making ice and they start making a ton of money with ice.

  • Why did I choose to make a ton of money?

  • Well, then why did you charge them a ton of money?

  • And that has been really good for me because I've made a ton of money through basically following their stock advice.

  • Both my parents and I have poured a ton of money into my education.

    Academic text (2014)
  • Zack sold his company for a ton of money and decided to travel the world.

Synonyms

lot
vsa ton of money
∞ 1.0

A large amount of something

is specifically about very large sums of money rather than anything
a lot of money
vsa ton of money
676 1.0

A large amount of money that lets you buy expensive things or do big projects

is the informal everyday expression for the same very large amount
tons
vsa ton of money
  • Informal
577 2.1

A very large amount of something, often many people or things

is focused specifically on money rather than any large amount
great deal
vsa ton of money
561 1.6

A large amount of something, for example patience or money

is more informal and specifically about money amounts
big money
vsa ton of money
133 2.0

A large amount of money, especially as earnings or profit

is the general amount phrase not tied to earnings
big bucks
vsa ton of money
  • Informal
61 4.2

A lot of money that someone earns or gets

is broader, covering any very large amount not only earnings
pile
vsa ton of money
  • Slang
35 7.1

A large amount of money

is the general phrase without informal visual imagery
heaps
vsa ton of money
  • UK
13 4.8

A large amount of things, for example work, friends, or food

is more narrowly the phrase for a very large money amount
a pretty penny
vsa ton of money
  • Informal
13 7.0

A large amount of money that is higher than expected

is a neutral large amount without the surprise or cost emphasis
loads of money
vsa ton of money
  • Informal
9 3.0

A lot of money

is similar but slightly more neutral and less emphatic
megabuck
vsa ton of money
  • Slang
1 6.1

A very large amount of money often about one million dollars

is broader and does not imply a particular numeric size
megabucks
vsa ton of money
  • Slang
1 7.4

A very large amount of money

is the general phrase for large amounts, not income-focused
shitton of money
vsa ton of money
  • Offensive
1 9.9

A very large amount of money

is the same size amount but without vulgar tone

How Much

fortune
510 2.8
a ton of money
  • Informal
36 2.8
a lot of money
676 1.0
song
  • Informal
4 7.9

Surface Forms

a ton of money singular
tons of money plural

Morphology

a + tons + of + money

The phrase meaning 'a very large amount of money' is directly compositional: 'ton' (a large quantity/weight) combined with 'of' and 'money' yields a large amount of money. This metaphorical use of a measurement word to indicate abundance is common cross-linguistically and would be understandable to a B1 learner who knows the constituent words.

Etymology

A ton of money comes from the idea of a ton as a very heavy weight, so imagine piles of cash so big and heavy they would weigh a ton. That's why it means 'a very large amount of money'.