pretty penny, a

a pretty penny

A large amount of money. A fancy car like that costs a pretty penny, so I definitely can't afford it! Wow, Alex must have paid a pretty penny for a house in a gated community. That bracelet she bought on a whim today sure cost a pretty penny—she must be loaded.

See also: penny, pretty

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

pretty penny, a

A considerable sum of money, as in That fur coat must have cost a pretty penny. [Early 1700s]

See also: pretty

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.