price on someone's head
A compensation for capturing or killing someone, especially a criminal.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“The criminal has a price on his head.”
“The outlaw hides because there is a price on his head.”
“You are not safe if the sheriff puts a price on your head.”
“The detective knew that a large reward meant there was a price on the fugitive's head.”
“After the spy stole the secret documents, the government put a massive price on her head to ensure she was caught before crossing the border.”
“The gang leader realized he was in danger when he heard his rivals had put a price on his head.”
“After the rebellion failed, the king placed a heavy price on the leader's head to ensure he would never return to power.”
Attested from the mid-1700s, the phrase originates from the earlier practice of beheading criminals. The price refers to the reward offered for the delivery of a person’s head, providing physical confirmation that a sentence of execution had been carried out. As the state moved away from decapitation, the idiom remained to denote a bounty offered for a person's capture or death.
- 01
another nail in someone's coffin
An event that increases the likelihood of or causes further failure.
- 02
answer someone's prayers
To be or do exactly what someone has been wishing or asking for.
- 03
answer to someone's prayers
Exactly what someone has been wishing or asking for.
- 04
apple of someone's eye
The object of somebody's affections; a person (or sometimes a thing) that someone strongly prefers; a favorite, a loved one.
- 05
bane of someone's existence
Someone or something that poses a significant problem to someone.
- 06
bang one's head against a brick wall
To waste effort on a futile project.
- 07
bang some heads together
Attempt to get results from a previously ineffectual or argumentative group, typically by coercion or force.
- 08
bash someone's face in
To beat someone violently.
Last updated August 10, 2026