Dictionary

pretty penny en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˌpɹɪti ˈpɛni/ (General-American)
• (Australia) audio
• [-ɾi-] (General-American)
• /ˌpɹɪti ˈpɛni/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From pretty (“(dated) moderately large, considerable”) + penny (“money in general”).

Meanings

1. (idiomatic, informal) Chiefly preceded by a: a considerable amount of money; a high income or price.
   • [Stephen Allen] Schwarzman's firm makes a pretty penny in a number of finance fields, including real estate and hedge funds, yet carries the most heft for its work in private equity—a force that is remaking corporate America and spreading its influence overseas. 2007 April 30, Barbara Kiviat, “Stephen Schwarzman”, in Time, New York, N.Y.: Time Warner Publishing, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 09 Dec 2008:
   • They could charge a pretty penny as they had a captive audience.
   • We shall have our branch line—our shares are up, sir—and we buy your three fields along the Brawl, and put a pretty penny into your pocket, Mr. Pendennis. 1848 November – 1850 December, William Makepeace Thackeray, “A Chapter of Match-making”, in The History of Pendennis. […], volume II, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1850, →OCLC, page 350:
   • He didn't know—he expected she was spending a pretty penny on dress. 1906, John Galsworthy, “James at Large”, in The Man of Property, London: William Heinemann, →OCLC, part I, page 87:
   • It costs a pretty penny / Just to stay afloat / It takes a lot of lolly / Trying to be jolly 1991, Robert Wyatt, Alfreda Benge, “Shrinkrap”, in Dondestan:
   • "Then the Captain might still make a pretty penny on Amita," said the Scotchman. 1885, Bret Harte, chapter I, in Maruja, Boston, Mass.; New York, N.Y.: Houghton, Mifflin and Company […], →OCLC, page 16:
   • [E]verything's as nice as can be all over the house, and that watered-silk she had on cost a pretty penny. 1860, George Eliot [pseudonym; Mary Ann Evans], “Tom’s ‘First Half’”, in The Mill on the Floss […], volume I, Edinburgh; London: William Blackwood and Sons, →OCLC, book II (School-time), page 256:
   • "It must have cost you a pretty penny. It's lucky you can afford it." / "I can't," said Philip. "But what do I care!" 1915, W[illiam] Somerset Maugham, chapter LXXIII, in Of Human Bondage, New York, N.Y.: George H[enry] Doran Company, →OCLC, page 377:
   • VVhy here may be a pretty Penny tovvards, if the Devil don't croſs it. 1709 (date written), Susanna Cent-livre, The Man’s Bewitch’d; or, The Devil to Do about Her. A Comedy, […], Dublin: […] J. Jones, for George Ewing, […], published 1737, →OCLC, Act I, page 12:

Forms

Relateds

cost dear · give one's right arm · give one's left nut · give one's eye-teeth

Synonyms

an arm and a leg · fine penny · fair penny · fortune

Translations (21)

fr les yeux de la tête (considerable amount of money) · fr un bras (considerable amount of money) · es salir más caro que un hijo tonto (considerable amount of money) · gv argid mooar (considerable amount of money) · fi pitkä penni (considerable amount of money) · cs majlant (considerable amount of money) · ga pingin mhaith (considerable amount of money) · cmn 一大筆錢 /一大笔钱 (considerable amount of money) · bg значителна сума (considerable amount of money) · pt nota preta (considerable amount of money) · nl slordige duit (considerable amount of money) · ru влета́ть в копе́ечку (considerable amount of money) · de (nettes / hübsches) Sümmchen (considerable amount of money) · mk значи́телна су́ма (considerable amount of money) · hu borsos ár (considerable amount of money) · pl ładna sumka (considerable amount of money) · fi maltaita (considerable amount of money) · cy ceiniog fach (considerable amount of money) · ru кру́гленькая су́мма (considerable amount of money) · nl (mooi / aardig) sommetje (considerable amount of money) · cy ceiniog a dimai (considerable amount of money)