Spend a fortune

Meaning

The idiom "spend a fortune" means to spend an unusually large amount of money on something. It is often used when the cost of an item or activity is considered excessive or extravagant.

Usage

• She spent a fortune on her wedding dress and jewelry.
• He decided to invest in a new business venture, even though it meant spending a fortune upfront.
• The museum has a collection of rare artifacts that cost a small fortune to maintain.
• She loves shopping for high-end designer clothes, but can't afford to spend a fortune on them every month.
• The company spent a fortune on research and development before launching their new product.

Roots and History

The origin of the idiom "spend a fortune" is not entirely clear, but it likely comes from the idea of spending an excessive amount of money that could be considered a waste. This could be interpreted as spending a "fortune," which suggests a large sum of money. The phrase has been used since at least the 19th century and has become a commonly used idiom in contemporary English.

Synonyms in English

• Spend an arm and a leg on
• Blow a hole in one's pocket
• Go broke
• Splurge
• Break the bank

Synonyms in other languages

• Spanish: "gastar mucho dinero" (to spend a lot of money)
• French: "dépenser beaucoup d'argent" (to spend a lot of money)
• German: "viel Geld auf" (to spend a lot of money)
• Italian: "spendere molto denaro" (to spend a lot of money)
• Russian: "проведеть большие суммы денег" (to spend large sums of money)

Similar Idioms

• shed light

• stop by

• sponger, sponging, sponge off