king's ransom

noun

: a very large sum of money

Examples of king's ransom in a Sentence

We paid a king's ransom for that car. that enormous diamond ring must have cost a king's ransom
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Williams is such a talented prospect that experts are saying the Bears should not trade the first overall pick for a king's ransom. Jon Hoefling, USA TODAY, 5 Feb. 2024 What king's ransom would the price of entry be if the trumpeters all make a ‘living wage’ for a temporary job best filled by college students? Luther Ray Abel, National Review, 17 Feb. 2023 But a king's ransom awaits you with A Royal Corgi Christmas (Hallmark, Nov. 25), where a prince who's about to assume the throne gifts his mother a rambunctious corgi named Mistletoe, who's in desperate need of a trainer. Dan Snierson, EW.com, 22 Nov. 2022 At the Chamounix Equestrian Center, children learn the aristocratic sport — but those in the Work to Ride program don't need a king's ransom. Anne-Marie Green, CBS News, 31 Aug. 2022 Yet Hilbert paid a king's ransom of over $7.6 billion for the struggling lender, more than seven times its book value. Shawn Tully, Fortune, 18 Feb. 2022 Hot Reads: Upon Further Review Barcelona has locked up its budding star Pedri with a deal that includes a $1.1 billion release clause, ensuring that any potential suitor would have to pay a king's ransom to pry away the 18-year-old midfielder. Justin Birnbaum, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2021 Research Affiliates ran numbers for Fortune showing how a few stocks with gigantic market caps—most of them boasting king's ransom valuations—have grabbed a bigger and bigger slice of the S&P 500. Shawn Tully, Fortune, 30 May 2020 With such a small customer base, Nvidia's SoC division does not have a king's ransom in resources, and this new Tegra chip is not a huge upgrade. Ron Amadeo, Ars Technica, 28 Oct. 2019

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1525, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of king's ransom was circa 1525

Dictionary Entries Near king's ransom

Cite this Entry

“King's ransom.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/king%27s%20ransom. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

king's ransom

noun
: a very large sum of money
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!