king's ransom
A very large sum of money.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“That rare watch costs a king's ransom.”
“You pay a king's ransom for a tiny apartment in this city.”
“Organic honey sometimes costs a king's ransom at the local market.”
“The antique painting was sold at auction for a king's ransom, surprising everyone in the room.”
“Repairing the engine on such an old car will cost a king's ransom, so you should probably just buy a new one.”
“The company paid a king's ransom to hire the famous consultant, hoping she could save their failing business.”
“Even though the wedding dress cost a king's ransom, she felt it was worth the price for her special day.”
“Although the developers spent a king's ransom on the new software, the final product failed to meet the basic expectations of the users.”
Derived from the historical practice of demanding an exceptionally high sum for the return of a kidnapped or captured monarch. The term preserves the memory of the substantial financial levies required to secure the release of a sovereign, whose freedom was priced according to the value of the crown itself.
Last updated August 10, 2026