tidy sum
3
3.7
- noun
- Informal
:
suma considerable
- $2 million is a tidy sum.
- a tidy sum of money
- pay a tidy sum
- make a tidy sum
Examples
-
Even after several refinancings to pay for living and medical expenses and two cars, we came out with a tidy sum.
Blog text (17) -
And for me that's a tidy sum of money.
Fiction book (1995) -
A tidy sum then, as well as now.
Fiction book (1999) -
We purchased it for $7.2 million, a tidy sum then as well as now.
-
You could make a tidy sum and get a cozy place on the beach.
Fiction book (1998) -
And they splashed out quite a tidy sum on the whole thing.
Blog text (1) -
Last week this time, $1.6 million had seemed a tidy sum, especially when added to his million-dollar inventory.
Fiction book (2002) -
Godiva ends up buying Charles's business for the tidy sum of $25 million.
Blog text (26) -
By the way, I finally canceled my local newspaper, The Maui News, subscription this week to save a tidy sum each year.
Blog text (17) -
Winning the lottery netted her a tidy sum that allowed her to buy a new house.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
A large amount of something
141
1.0
An amount of money considered as a whole
48
1.0
A total amount of money
37
4.4
A large amount of money
32
7.1
A large amount of money
27
4.6
A thick bundle of paper money
17
3.3
A large amount of money that is more than you expect
11
7.0
A large amount of money that is higher than expected
Antonyms
How Much
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase 'tidy sum' is built from 'tidy' + 'sum' and the overall meaning ('a fairly large amount') can be inferred as an extended or evaluative sense of 'tidy' applied to an amount. However, this use of 'tidy' as 'considerable' is a figurative extension of its primary sense ('neat/ordered') and may not be immediately predictable to a B1 learner who only knows the basic sense, so partial inference is possible but not guaranteed.
Etymology
Tidy sum comes from tidy (used to mean 'neat' or 'handsome') and sum (an amount of money). The image is a neat, pleasing pile of cash, so it now means 'a fairly large or pleasant amount of money'.