small fortune

noun

: a surprisingly or unexpectedly large amount of money

They spent a small fortune on redecorating their house.

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Five extra days in a destination like Mexico or Hawaii can cost a small fortune, not to mention difficult to find a room at the height of spring break or summer travel. —Jen Murphy, Outside Online, 27 Feb. 2023

Then came a small fortune from the federal government: $24 million in COVID-19 relief funds for the district of nearly 3,800 students. —Detroit Free Press, 27 Mar. 2023

Nobody wants to live in a draughty, cold home that costs a small fortune to heat, but the sad reality is millions of people wake up every day in such a property. —Jamie Hailstone, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2023

Rather than treating that theory seriously, however, progressive media figures slandered the theory’s proponents, with support from researchers who stood to lose out on a small fortune in grants for coronavirus research in China if such funding was cut off in a backlash. —The Editors, National Review, 27 Feb. 2023