Synonyms
Examples of king's ransom in a Sentence
We paid a king's ransom for that car.
that enormous diamond ring must have cost a king's ransom
Recent Examples on the Web
What king's ransom would the price of entry be if the trumpeters all make a ‘living wage’ for a temporary job best filled by college students?
—
Luther Ray Abel, National Review, 17 Feb. 2023
But a king's ransom awaits you with A Royal Corgi Christmas (Hallmark, Nov. 25), where a prince who's about to assume the throne gifts his mother a rambunctious corgi named Mistletoe, who's in desperate need of a trainer.
—Dan Snierson, EW.com, 22 Nov. 2022
At the Chamounix Equestrian Center, children learn the aristocratic sport — but those in the Work to Ride program don't need a king's ransom.
—Anne-Marie Green, CBS News, 31 Aug. 2022
Yet Hilbert paid a king's ransom of over $7.6 billion for the struggling lender, more than seven times its book value.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 18 Feb. 2022
Hot Reads: Upon Further Review Barcelona has locked up its budding star Pedri with a deal that includes a $1.1 billion release clause, ensuring that any potential suitor would have to pay a king's ransom to pry away the 18-year-old midfielder.
—Justin Birnbaum, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2021
Research Affiliates ran numbers for Fortune showing how a few stocks with gigantic market caps—most of them boasting king's ransom valuations—have grabbed a bigger and bigger slice of the S&P 500.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 30 May 2020
With such a small customer base, Nvidia's SoC division does not have a king's ransom in resources, and this new Tegra chip is not a huge upgrade.
—Ron Amadeo, Ars Technica, 28 Oct. 2019
On Draft Day, then Jets GM Mike Maccagnan paid a king's ransom to the Indianapolis Colts for the right to move up three spots to select the former USC signal caller.
—Akeem Glaspie, Indianapolis Star, 7 Oct. 2019
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Luther Ray Abel, National Review, 17 Feb. 2023
But a king's ransom awaits you with A Royal Corgi Christmas (Hallmark, Nov. 25), where a prince who's about to assume the throne gifts his mother a rambunctious corgi named Mistletoe, who's in desperate need of a trainer.
—Dan Snierson, EW.com, 22 Nov. 2022
At the Chamounix Equestrian Center, children learn the aristocratic sport — but those in the Work to Ride program don't need a king's ransom.
—Anne-Marie Green, CBS News, 31 Aug. 2022
Yet Hilbert paid a king's ransom of over $7.6 billion for the struggling lender, more than seven times its book value.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 18 Feb. 2022
Hot Reads: Upon Further Review Barcelona has locked up its budding star Pedri with a deal that includes a $1.1 billion release clause, ensuring that any potential suitor would have to pay a king's ransom to pry away the 18-year-old midfielder.
—Justin Birnbaum, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2021
Research Affiliates ran numbers for Fortune showing how a few stocks with gigantic market caps—most of them boasting king's ransom valuations—have grabbed a bigger and bigger slice of the S&P 500.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 30 May 2020
With such a small customer base, Nvidia's SoC division does not have a king's ransom in resources, and this new Tegra chip is not a huge upgrade.
—Ron Amadeo, Ars Technica, 28 Oct. 2019
On Draft Day, then Jets GM Mike Maccagnan paid a king's ransom to the Indianapolis Colts for the right to move up three spots to select the former USC signal caller.
—Akeem Glaspie, Indianapolis Star, 7 Oct. 2019
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'king's ransom.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
circa 1525, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near king's ransom
Cite this Entry
“King's ransom.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/king%27s%20ransom. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
king's ransom
noun
: a very large sum of money
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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