king's ransom
3
7.5
- idiom
- Informal
:
una fortuna
- The houses there go for a king's ransom.
- pay a king's ransom
- cost a king's ransom
Examples
-
For your ship, a king's ransom in jewels.
-
I'm mistrustful of people who want it so badly they'll spend a king's ransom to get it.
Blog text (7) -
Four thousand years old, and worth a king's ransom.
-
There just might be a king's ransom down there.
-
If I have it, then it's rare and worth a king's ransom!
Blog text (9) -
One that any government in the world would pay a king's ransom to take possession of.
-
Spending a king's ransom to raise that total to 320 hardly seems worthwhile.
Academic text (2010) -
We've paid more than a king's ransom, but have not taken the hostage—our financial system—back from the banks.
Blog text (17) -
For instance, if I live in Montana, Alabama, Nebraska, or West Virginia, $200,000 is a king's ransom; however, if I live in New York City, San Francisco, or Los Angeles, $200,000 a year buys me a modest house and the privilege of being in debt for the next thirty years.
Blog text (27) -
The ancient artifact was sold for a king's ransom, attracting bids from collectors worldwide.
How Much
- Informal
3
7.5
453
2.8
604
1.0
- Informal
3
3.7
∞
1.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
king's + ransom
The phrase combines 'king's' (royal/high value) with 'ransom' (a sum of money demanded for release), so a learner who knows both words can infer it refers to a very large payment or something extremely costly. The possessive compositional pattern is straightforward and common cross-linguistically, making the meaning readily derivable for a B1 learner.
Etymology
King's ransom comes from old times when a captured king had to have a very large ransom paid to set him free. That's why the phrase now means 'an extremely large amount of money'.