On this page13 sections
- Quick picker
- Idioms for being very rich
- Idioms for being comfortable rather than super-rich
- Idioms for getting rich
- Idioms about where the money comes from
- Idioms about living like a rich person
- Idioms about rich people and power
- The opposite: idioms for having little money
- Phrases that are often listed but are not idioms for rich
- Idioms that use the word "rich"
- Common mistakes
- Practice
- Quick answers
The most common idioms for being rich are rolling in it, loaded, filthy rich, made of money, have money to burn, have deep pockets, well-heeled, well off and born with a silver spoon in your mouth. They are not interchangeable: some are admiring, some are rude, and several are mostly used in the negative (“I’m not made of money”).
Below, the idioms are grouped by what they say about the money: how much there is, where it came from, how it is spent and how people feel about it. Each comes with its meaning, register and an example. For comparisons rather than set phrases, see similes for money; for the wider topic, see metaphors for money.
Quick picker
| You want to say someone is rich and sound… | Use |
|---|---|
| Neutral or polite | well off, comfortably off, well-to-do, affluent |
| Casual | loaded, rolling in it, minted (UK) |
| Disapproving | filthy rich, stinking rich, fat cat |
| Admiring of their skill | has the Midas touch, made a fortune |
| Focused on inherited privilege | born with a silver spoon in their mouth, old money |
| Able to pay for something big | has deep pockets |
| Living in comfort | in the lap of luxury, on easy street, living the life of Riley |
Idioms for being very rich
| Idiom | Meaning and tone | Example |
|---|---|---|
| rolling in it / rolling in money | Very rich; casual. “Rolling in it” is the more common form. | Since the app sold, they’ve been rolling in it. |
| loaded | Very rich; casual, used after a verb. | Her uncle is loaded, so he paid for the wedding. |
| filthy rich / stinking rich | Extremely rich; usually disapproving or envious. | They’re filthy rich and still argue over the bill. |
| minted | Very rich; British slang. It does not mean “newly rich”. | He’s minted since he sold the business. |
| made of money | Very rich; almost always in the negative or a question. | Another new phone? I’m not made of money! |
| have money to burn | Have more money than you need, so you can waste some. | If you have money to burn, the first-class upgrade is lovely. |
| have deep pockets | Have a lot of money to spend, often a company or backer. | The club’s new owner has deep pockets. |
| flush (with cash) | Having plenty of money at the moment; can be temporary. | I’m flush this week, so dinner’s on me. |
| as rich as Croesus | Enormously rich; literary. Croesus was a king of Lydia in the 6th century BC, famous for his wealth. | The old shipping families were as rich as Croesus. |
| worth a fortune / worth a king’s ransom | Extremely valuable. Said of things more than people. | That painting in the hall is worth a king’s ransom. |
Idioms for being comfortable rather than super-rich
Not every rich idiom means millionaire. These describe people who have enough and more, and they are the polite choices.
- well off / well-to-do: comfortably rich. “She comes from a well-to-do family.”
- comfortably off: no money worries, without being wealthy. “They’re not rich, but they’re comfortably off.”
- well-heeled: prosperous, often about the people at an event or in an area. Usually explained by good shoes as a sign of money. “a well-heeled crowd at the gallery opening”
- in the money: having money, often suddenly. Also used in racing for finishing in a paying position.
- sitting pretty: in a comfortable position, often a financial one. “With the mortgage paid off, they’re sitting pretty.”
Idioms for getting rich
| Idiom | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| strike it rich | Become rich suddenly; first used of gold and oil strikes. | Few people who joined the gold rush struck it rich. |
| hit the jackpot | Win a lot of money, or have a big piece of luck. Always the jackpot. | They hit the jackpot when a chain bought their recipe. |
| make a killing | Make a large profit quickly. | He made a killing selling umbrellas at the festival. |
| make a fortune / make a packet (UK) / make a bundle | Earn a lot of money. | She made a packet in property in the nineties. |
| rake it in | Earn a lot, steadily. | That food truck must be raking it in. |
| come into money | Receive money, usually an inheritance. Not “come to money”. | He came into money when his aunt died. |
| a windfall | Money you did not expect. | The tax refund was a nice windfall. |
| from rags to riches | From poverty to great wealth. | Her rags-to-riches story became a film. |
| the Midas touch | The ability to make money from whatever you do. In the Greek myth, everything King Midas touched turned to gold, including his food. | Every company she invests in grows; she has the Midas touch. |
| a cash cow / a gold mine | A business or product that keeps making money. | The old printer cartridges are the firm’s cash cow. |
| laugh all the way to the bank | Make money from something others mocked or criticised. | Critics hated the film; the studio laughed all the way to the bank. |
Idioms about where the money comes from
- born with a silver spoon in your mouth: born into a rich family, often implying you did not earn your advantages. “He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and has never had to look for a job.”
- old money: families who have been rich for generations; also the families themselves. “The yacht club is very much old money.”
- new money / nouveau riche: recently rich, usually said by someone who means it as a criticism of their taste.
- a trust fund kid / a trustafarian (informal, mocking): a young person living on family money.
- the one percent: the richest people in a society; common in political talk.
Idioms about living like a rich person
- in the lap of luxury: in great comfort. Always the lap. “They spent the week in the lap of luxury on a private island.”
- live high on the hog: live expensively. Usually explained by the best cuts of pork coming from high on the pig. “Since the promotion he’s been living high on the hog.”
- live the life of Riley: live an easy, carefree life. The origin is uncertain; it was popular in American songs around 1900.
- on easy street: financially secure and comfortable. “One good year and we’ll be on easy street.”
- in clover: living comfortably, like cattle in a rich field. “With two pensions, they’re in clover.”
- live like a king: live very well, often for a short time. “We lived like kings for a week on the prize money.”
- a gilded cage: a rich life that feels like a prison. “Fame gave her a gilded cage, not freedom.”
Idioms about rich people and power
- fat cat: a rich, powerful person, especially a highly paid executive; critical. “fat-cat bonuses”
- high roller: someone who spends or gambles large amounts.
- money talks: money gives power and influence. “The rules were bent for him; money talks.”
- more money than sense: rich and foolish with it. “Anyone who pays that for a phone case has more money than sense.”
- feather your nest: make yourself rich, often by using your position unfairly. “The minister was accused of feathering his own nest.”
- keeping up with the Joneses: spending to match the neighbours.
The opposite: idioms for having little money
Writers often need both sides of the contrast. The common ones are broke, hard up, strapped for cash, on a shoestring, living hand to mouth, can’t make ends meet, tighten your belt (spend less) and money doesn’t grow on trees (what parents say to a child who wants everything).
Phrases that are often listed but are not idioms for rich
- opulent and affluent are single adjectives, not idioms. Useful, but in a different category; see other ways to say money for vocabulary.
- a silver lining means something good in a bad situation; it has nothing to do with wealth.
- land on your feet means recovering well from a setback, money or not.
- climb the corporate ladder is about promotion, not riches.
- a bed of roses means an easy situation and is almost always negative: “Life isn’t a bed of roses.”
Idioms that use the word “rich”
Some phrases contain rich but do not all mean wealthy, which trips up learners:
- strike it rich: become wealthy suddenly (see above).
- a get-rich-quick scheme: a plan that promises easy money and usually fails or is a scam. “Most get-rich-quick schemes only make their sellers rich.”
- rich pickings: an easy chance to gain money or advantage. “The unlocked cars offered rich pickings for thieves.”
- That’s rich! or That’s rich, coming from you: sarcastic; it means the speaker is a hypocrite. “You’re calling me lazy? That’s rich.”
- rich in: having a lot of something, not money. “The soil is rich in iron”; “a city rich in history”.
- the rich and famous: wealthy celebrities as a group. “a hotel popular with the rich and famous”
Common mistakes
| Wrong | Right | Why |
|---|---|---|
| She came to money. | She came into money. | The idiom uses into. |
| They hit a jackpot. | They hit the jackpot. | Fixed with the. |
| They live in a lap of luxury. | They live in the lap of luxury. | Fixed with the. |
| Ask Dad, he’s made of money. (meant kindly) | Ask Dad, he’s well off. | “Made of money” usually complains about requests for money. |
| Our host was filthy rich and very generous. | Our host was very wealthy and very generous. | “Filthy rich” carries disapproval; it clashes with praise. |
| He is a minted millionaire. | He’s minted. | “Minted” is used after a verb and already means very rich. |
| The company is loaded of money. | The company is loaded. / The company has deep pockets. | “Loaded” stands alone; “loaded with” is used for things, not money. |
Practice
A. Choose the idiom.
- When his grandmother died, he ______ and bought a house. (came into money / struck gold mine / rolled in it)
- Don’t ask me for another loan. I’m not ______! (made of money / in clover / well-heeled)
- The charity found a sponsor with ______ who will cover the full cost. (deep pockets / a silver spoon / easy street)
- Everything she sells takes off. She has ______. (the Midas touch / money to burn / the lap of luxury)
- After years in a tiny flat, they now live ______ on the coast. (in the lap of luxury / on a shoestring / hand to mouth)
B. Polite or rude? Mark each P (polite/neutral) or R (rude/disapproving).
- She’s comfortably off.
- He’s stinking rich.
- Those fat cats gave themselves a raise.
- They’re a well-to-do family.
C. Fix the idiom.
- They hit a jackpot with their first game.
- He was born with a gold spoon in his mouth.
- We’re not rich, but we make the ends meet.
Answers: 1 came into money. 2 made of money. 3 deep pockets. 4 the Midas touch. 5 in the lap of luxury. 6 P. 7 R. 8 R. 9 P. 10 hit the jackpot. 11 born with a silver spoon in his mouth. 12 make ends meet (no “the”).
Quick answers
What is an idiom for very rich? Rolling in it, loaded, filthy rich, have money to burn and as rich as Croesus.
What is a polite way to say someone is rich? Well off, well-to-do, comfortably off or affluent.
What does “born with a silver spoon in your mouth” mean? Born into a rich family; it often hints that the person did not earn their advantages.
What is the idiom for becoming rich suddenly? Strike it rich, hit the jackpot or come into money (by inheritance).
Is “loaded” rude? It is informal rather than rude, but it is not for formal writing.
What does “have deep pockets” mean? To have a lot of money available to spend, often said of a company, investor or club owner.
Related: idioms for success and, for how idioms work as figures of speech, figurative language.