to lighten one's purse - Glite Dictionary

Examples

That five-star hotel stay really lightened my purse.
A series of unexpected repairs can lighten one's purse quite a bit.
Don't lighten your purse too much on unnecessary items!
She always lightens her purse when shopping at the mall.
The expensive car repairs will lighten one's purse significantly this month.
Eating out at fancy restaurants can lighten your purse faster than you think.
He's trying to save money, but his new hobbies tend to lighten his purse quickly.

Synonyms

to blow savings

vsto lighten one's purse

Informal

1 6.9

To spend saved money quickly on things you do not need

reduces funds noticeably but not necessarily wastefully

to loosen the purse strings

vsto lighten one's purse

Informal

1 6.5

To allow someone to spend more money

reduces funds by spending rather than describing a change in willingness

to blow one's wad

vsto lighten one's purse

Informal

9.9

To spend all your money at once

reduces funds heavily but can happen gradually rather than instantly

to dissave

vsto lighten one's purse

Specialized

9.9

To spend money you have put aside for later

reduces funds noticeably or heavily rather than only using saved capital

Antonyms

to raise

∞ 2.9

To make an amount, level, or value higher

to save money

257 1.3

To put money aside instead of spending it now

How Much

spending spree

6 3.6

splurge

Informal

8 6.9

to lighten one's purse

Archaic

8.3

to spend

∞ 1.0

to pay

∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

lighten one's purse infinitive

lightened one's purse past

lightened one's purse past participle

lightening one's purse present participle

lightens one's purse third person singular

Morphology

lighten + one + purse

The meaning is a straightforward metaphorical extension of the constituents: 'lighten' (make less heavy) applied to 'purse' (a container for money) leads naturally to the idea of making one's funds smaller by spending. Because this requires mapping a physical sense to an abstract one (a metaphor) rather than a purely literal composition, it is partially predictable but not fully literal for learners.

Etymology

Lighten one's purse comes from the simple image of taking coins out so the purse becomes lighter because the money is gone. That's why the phrase means 'to spend money' or 'to have less money'.