Idiom
pretty penny
Meaning
Chiefly preceded by a: a considerable amount of money; a high income or price.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“That new car must have cost a pretty penny.”
“The repairs on the old house cost a pretty penny, but the results were worth every cent.”
“Although the rare antique clock cost a pretty penny, the collector believed its historical significance justified the substantial investment.”
Examples
simple
“That new car must have cost a pretty penny.”
contextual
“The repairs on the old house cost a pretty penny, but the results were worth every cent.”
complex
“Although the rare antique clock cost a pretty penny, the collector believed its historical significance justified the substantial investment.”
Origin
From the dated sense of *pretty*, denoting a moderately large or considerable amount, combined with *penny* in its general sense of money.
Key words
Related idioms
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