Greed has been a part of human life for as long as people have traded, worked, or shared resources. In the USA, we often hear stories about people who want more than they need—whether it’s money, power, or possessions. To describe this, Americans use colorful idioms that make the meaning clear. These expressions often come from history, everyday life, or old sayings passed down through generations.
Idioms about greed help paint a picture of someone’s endless desire for more. They can be used in conversations, books, and even movies. By learning these phrases, you can better understand American speech and culture. In this article, we’ll explore 55 common idioms about greed, their meanings, and how you can use them naturally in everyday life.
Idioms About Greed
1. Money to burn
Meaning: Having more money than you can use.
Example Sentence:
• After winning the lottery, he acted like he had money to burn.
• She spends like she has money to burn, buying new clothes every week.
Other ways to say: Plenty of cash, loaded
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the idea of having so much money you could literally set it on fire without worry.
Usage: Used when someone spends freely without thinking about costs.
2. Feather one’s nest
Meaning: To use one’s position or job to get money for personal gain.
Example Sentence:
• The official was accused of feathering his own nest with public funds.
• He took the promotion mainly to feather his nest before retiring.
Other ways to say: Line one’s pockets, enrich oneself
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from birds lining their nests with soft materials—symbolizing making one’s own situation more comfortable.
Usage: Often used when someone uses power or influence for personal profit.
3. Born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth
Meaning: Born into wealth and privilege.
Example Sentence:
• She was born with a silver spoon in her mouth and never had to work.
• Many assume he succeeded because he had a silver spoon in his mouth.
Other ways to say: Privileged from birth, wealthy upbringing
Fun Fact/Origin: In the 1700s, silver spoons were luxury items given to wealthy babies.
Usage: Used to point out someone’s wealthy background.
4. Gravy train
Meaning: A job or situation that gives easy money for little work.
Example Sentence:
• His consulting gig is a gravy train—big paychecks, few hours.
• Some thought the contract was just a gravy train for the insiders.
Other ways to say: Easy money, cushy deal
Fun Fact/Origin: Originated in early 1900s America, comparing easy earnings to rich gravy on a meal.
Usage: Used when someone profits easily without much effort.
5. Filthy rich
Meaning: Extremely wealthy.
Example Sentence:
• That tech founder is filthy rich after selling his company.
• The movie star is not just rich, she’s filthy rich.
Other ways to say: Loaded, very wealthy
Fun Fact/Origin: “Filthy” was added for emphasis, not because wealth is dirty.
Usage: Informal, often used to exaggerate great wealth.
6. All about the Benjamins
Meaning: Focused only on money.
Example Sentence:
• He’s all about the Benjamins—if it doesn’t pay, he’s not interested.
• The music industry can be all about the Benjamins.
Other ways to say: Money-focused, profit-driven
Fun Fact/Origin: Refers to $100 bills, which feature Benjamin Franklin’s portrait.
Usage: Common in American slang, especially in pop culture.
7. Make a killing
Meaning: Earn a lot of money quickly.
Example Sentence:
• They made a killing on the stock market last year.
• She made a killing selling vintage furniture online.
Other ways to say: Cash in big, strike it rich
Fun Fact/Origin: First used in the 1800s about profitable business deals.
Usage: Used when someone makes large profits suddenly.
8. Gold digger
Meaning: A person who pursues relationships for money rather than love.
Example Sentence:
• People warned him she might be a gold digger.
• The movie’s character was a classic gold digger.
Other ways to say: Money chaser, fortune hunter
Fun Fact/Origin: Became popular in the 1920s after a stage play of the same name.
Usage: Used to describe someone seeking financial gain through romance.
9. Cash cow
Meaning: Something that provides steady income.
Example Sentence:
• Their fast-food chain is a cash cow for the company.
• The book series turned into a cash cow for the author.
Other ways to say: Steady earner, profit source
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from dairy farming, where cows produce milk regularly.
Usage: Used in business when a product or service consistently makes money.
10. Rolling in dough
Meaning: Having a lot of money.
Example Sentence:
• After that big contract, they were rolling in dough.
• She must be rolling in dough to afford that house.
Other ways to say: Rich, well-off
Fun Fact/Origin: “Dough” has been slang for money in the U.S. since the 1800s.
Usage: Informal phrase for being wealthy.
11. Penny pincher
Meaning: A person who is very unwilling to spend money.
Example Sentence:
• My uncle is a penny pincher who reuses tea bags.
• She’s such a penny pincher she won’t buy coffee at a café.
Other ways to say: Tightwad, frugal person
Fun Fact/Origin: Dates back to the 1800s, when pennies were worth much more.
Usage: Often used for people overly focused on saving money.
12. Greedy guts
Meaning: Someone who wants more than their fair share.
Example Sentence:
• Don’t be a greedy guts—leave some cake for others.
• The greedy guts took all the fries.
Other ways to say: Hog, selfish eater
Fun Fact/Origin: British English originally, now also heard in parts of the U.S.
Usage: Often used with children or playfully among friends.
13. Money talks
Meaning: Money has power and influence.
Example Sentence:
• Money talks in politics.
• They got the contract because money talks.
Other ways to say: Money rules, cash is king
Fun Fact/Origin: Recorded as early as the 1600s in English literature.
Usage: Used to explain how wealth can influence decisions.
14. Rake it in
Meaning: To earn large amounts of money easily.
Example Sentence:
• They’re raking it in with that new app.
• The concert tour raked in millions.
Other ways to say: Make a fortune, cash in
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from raking leaves—pulling in large piles at once.
Usage: Informal, used for big financial success.
15. Get rich quick
Meaning: Make money fast with little effort.
Example Sentence:
• That scheme promises to get rich quick.
• He fell for a get-rich-quick scam.
Other ways to say: Quick fortune, instant wealth
Fun Fact/Origin: Popular phrase in 1800s America during gold rush days.
Usage: Often used to warn against risky investments.
16. Keep up with the Joneses
Meaning: To try to match your neighbors’ lifestyle.
Example Sentence:
• Buying that car was just keeping up with the Joneses.
• They renovated the kitchen to keep up with the Joneses.
Other ways to say: Status competition, lifestyle race
Fun Fact/Origin: From a 1913 comic strip poking fun at social climbing.
Usage: Used when people spend to appear as wealthy as others.
17. Money doesn’t grow on trees
Meaning: Money is hard to earn and shouldn’t be wasted.
Example Sentence:
• “No, you can’t have another toy—money doesn’t grow on trees,” said Mom.
• I remind my kids that money doesn’t grow on trees.
Other ways to say: Money is scarce, be careful with spending
Fun Fact/Origin: Common American parental saying from the early 1900s.
Usage: Often said to children to teach financial responsibility.
18. Break the bank
Meaning: To use up all of one’s money.
Example Sentence:
• That vacation didn’t break the bank.
• Buying the new sofa nearly broke the bank.
Other ways to say: Spend a fortune, drain savings
Fun Fact/Origin: From gambling—when winnings are more than the casino has on hand.
Usage: Used when spending a lot, sometimes exaggerated.
19. In it for the money
Meaning: Doing something only for financial gain.
Example Sentence:
• He’s clearly in it for the money, not the passion.
• She admitted she was in it for the money.
Other ways to say: Profit-driven, money-motivated
Fun Fact/Origin: Became common in the U.S. in the 1900s with professional sports.
Usage: Used when someone’s motives are purely financial.
20. Wolf of Wall Street
Meaning: An aggressive, money-driven person in finance.
Example Sentence:
• He acts like the Wolf of Wall Street, always chasing deals.
• The young broker became the Wolf of Wall Street in his office.
Other ways to say: Ruthless investor, high-roller
Fun Fact/Origin: Popularized by the 2013 film about stockbroker Jordan Belfort.
Usage: Used in finance contexts, sometimes jokingly.
21. Grab all you can
Meaning: Take as much as possible.
Example Sentence:
• At the sale, shoppers grabbed all they could.
• The politician seemed to grab all he could while in office.
Other ways to say: Take everything, snatch up
Fun Fact/Origin: Similar expressions appear in early 1900s American slang.
Usage: Used when someone takes more than their fair share.
22. Go for broke
Meaning: Risk everything for a big win.
Example Sentence:
• He went for broke investing in that company.
• We decided to go for broke with our new business idea.
Other ways to say: Risk it all, all in
Fun Fact/Origin: From gambling—putting all money in one bet.
Usage: Can be about greed or ambition.
23. Have deep pockets
Meaning: Have a lot of money.
Example Sentence:
• That law firm has deep pockets for lawsuits.
• Investors with deep pockets backed the project.
Other ways to say: Wealthy, financially strong
Fun Fact/Origin: Refers to pockets deep enough to hold a lot of money.
Usage: Often used about companies or investors.
24. Line one’s pockets
Meaning: Gain money, often dishonestly.
Example Sentence:
• The contractor lined his pockets with extra fees.
• Some leaders line their pockets instead of helping citizens.
Other ways to say: Steal funds, take a cut
Fun Fact/Origin: From the 1700s, imagining money filling one’s coat pockets.
Usage: Usually negative, about corruption.
25. Sitting on a goldmine
Meaning: Having something that could bring great wealth.
Example Sentence:
• With that invention, you’re sitting on a goldmine.
• The old land turned out to be a goldmine.
Other ways to say: Valuable asset, hidden treasure
Fun Fact/Origin: From gold rush days when a mine could make someone rich.
Usage: Used when something has great profit potential.
26. For a song
Meaning: To buy something very cheaply.
Example Sentence:
• He got that car for a song at the auction.
• We bought the furniture for a song at a yard sale.
Other ways to say: Dirt cheap, bargain price
Fun Fact/Origin: Dates back to the 1500s—singing was seen as a small, easy payment.
Usage: Used when a deal is much cheaper than expected.
27. Pay through the nose
Meaning: To pay an unusually high price.
Example Sentence:
• We paid through the nose for concert tickets.
• Renters in the city are paying through the nose these days.
Other ways to say: Overpay, spend too much
Fun Fact/Origin: Possibly from old taxes in Ireland that were extremely high.
Usage: Used when prices are much higher than normal.
28. In someone’s pocket
Meaning: Controlled or influenced by someone due to money.
Example Sentence:
• The councilman is in the developer’s pocket.
• They said the judge was in the company’s pocket.
Other ways to say: Bought off, under someone’s control
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the idea of being carried like loose change.
Usage: Used about corruption or favoritism.
29. Money-grubber
Meaning: A person always seeking more money.
Example Sentence:
• That boss is a real money-grubber.
• He became a money-grubber after the promotion.
Other ways to say: Greedy person, gold chaser
Fun Fact/Origin: “Grub” means to dig—like digging for money endlessly.
Usage: Negative term for greedy behavior.
30. Go hog wild
Meaning: To act with extreme greed or enthusiasm.
Example Sentence:
• Shoppers went hog wild at the Black Friday sale.
• He went hog wild collecting rare coins.
Other ways to say: Go crazy for, overdo it
Fun Fact/Origin: From farm animals rushing at food.
Usage: Informal, used for over-the-top actions.
31. Take the cake
Meaning: To be the most extreme example.
Example Sentence:
• That scam really takes the cake for greed.
• Her spending habits take the cake.
Other ways to say: Top the list, be the worst
Fun Fact/Origin: In 1800s U.S., cakes were prizes in contests.
Usage: Can be negative or positive, but here tied to greed.
32. Grab the lion’s share
Meaning: Take the biggest portion.
Example Sentence:
• He grabbed the lion’s share of the profits.
• The CEO took the lion’s share of credit.
Other ways to say: Take most, biggest cut
Fun Fact/Origin: From fables where the lion kept the best part of the hunt.
Usage: Used when one party takes far more than others.
33. Live high on the hog
Meaning: Live in luxury.
Example Sentence:
• They’ve been living high on the hog since the inheritance.
• The couple lives high on the hog in their mansion.
Other ways to say: Live in style, live well
Fun Fact/Origin: Higher cuts of pork were considered better.
Usage: Used for wealthy, comfortable lifestyles.
34. Money is no object
Meaning: Willing to spend any amount.
Example Sentence:
• Money is no object when it comes to his hobbies.
• For her wedding, money was no object.
Other ways to say: No budget limit, willing to spend
Fun Fact/Origin: First appeared in the 1800s in British writing.
Usage: Used when cost doesn’t matter.
35. Sell your soul
Meaning: To give up morals for money.
Example Sentence:
• He sold his soul for that promotion.
• The musician sold his soul to get famous.
Other ways to say: Compromise principles, betray values
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from old tales about selling one’s soul to the devil.
Usage: Used when greed overrides ethics.
36. Keep the change
Meaning: Letting someone keep leftover money, often casually.
Example Sentence:
• “Keep the change,” he told the waiter with a smile.
• She tossed a $20 for a $15 bill and said, “Keep the change.”
Other ways to say: Tip, extra money
Fun Fact/Origin: Common in U.S. tipping culture.
Usage: Sometimes used sarcastically if the amount is tiny.
37. Dirty money
Meaning: Money earned through illegal means.
Example Sentence:
• They laundered dirty money through the business.
• That’s just dirty money from crime.
Other ways to say: Illicit funds, criminal earnings
Fun Fact/Origin: “Dirty” means morally or legally unclean.
Usage: Used in crime and corruption discussions.
38. As rich as Croesus
Meaning: Extremely wealthy.
Example Sentence:
• The oil tycoon is as rich as Croesus.
• That family is as rich as Croesus from their land.
Other ways to say: Very rich, wealthy as can be
Fun Fact/Origin: Croesus was a rich king of Lydia in 500 B.C.
Usage: Often used in literary or humorous contexts.
39. Easy come, easy go
Meaning: Money earned easily is often spent quickly.
Example Sentence:
• He lost the bonus—easy come, easy go.
• Winning at poker was easy come, easy go for him.
Other ways to say: Win some, lose some
Fun Fact/Origin: Recorded in English as early as the 1800s.
Usage: Used casually when money is gained and lost quickly.
40. Eat someone out of house and home
Meaning: Consume so much that it costs a lot.
Example Sentence:
• The teenagers ate us out of house and home.
• Their guests ate them out of house and home during the holidays.
Other ways to say: Devour everything, overeat at someone’s expense
Fun Fact/Origin: Shakespeare used this phrase in Henry IV.
Usage: Often used for greedy eating.
41. Fish for compliments
Meaning: Try to get praise, often in a greedy way for attention.
Example Sentence:
• She’s always fishing for compliments.
• Don’t fish for compliments—it’s obvious.
Other ways to say: Seek praise, attention grab
Fun Fact/Origin: From fishing, casting bait to catch something.
Usage: Used when someone wants attention or admiration.
42. Go for the jugular
Meaning: Attack the most vulnerable point to win or gain.
Example Sentence:
• The lawyer went for the jugular in court.
• In business, he always goes for the jugular.
Other ways to say: Aim for weakness, strike hard
Fun Fact/Origin: From attacking an animal’s throat in a fight.
Usage: Often about aggressive greed in competition.
43. Grab the brass ring
Meaning: Take an opportunity to win big.
Example Sentence:
• She grabbed the brass ring when offered the CEO job.
• Startups try to grab the brass ring with investors.
Other ways to say: Seize opportunity, go for the prize
Fun Fact/Origin: From old carousel rides where riders could grab a brass ring for a prize.
Usage: About chasing rewards.
44. Have your cake and eat it too
Meaning: Wanting two opposite benefits at once.
Example Sentence:
• He wants to have his cake and eat it too—freedom and control.
• You can’t have your cake and eat it too in business.
Other ways to say: Want it all, double benefit
Fun Fact/Origin: First appeared in English in the 1500s.
Usage: About unrealistic greed for everything.
45. Loaded for bear
Meaning: Fully prepared to compete or win big.
Example Sentence:
• The company came loaded for bear to the negotiations.
• The salesman was loaded for bear with offers.
Other ways to say: Ready for action, prepared to dominate
Fun Fact/Origin: Hunting term meaning armed for large game.
Usage: Used when ready for aggressive pursuit.
46. Money to burn a hole in one’s pocket
Meaning: Eager to spend money quickly.
Example Sentence:
• That bonus is burning a hole in his pocket.
• Kids with allowance often have money burning a hole in their pockets.
Other ways to say: Spend-happy, eager buyer
Fun Fact/Origin: From the idea that money is too hot to hold onto.
Usage: Used for quick-spending habits.
47. On the take
Meaning: Accepting bribes.
Example Sentence:
• The inspector was caught on the take.
• They suspected the cop was on the take.
Other ways to say: Corrupt, accepting payoffs
Fun Fact/Origin: Common in 20th-century American crime slang.
Usage: Used in corruption contexts.
48. Pay dirt
Meaning: Find something valuable.
Example Sentence:
• The miners hit pay dirt after weeks of digging.
• His research hit pay dirt with that discovery.
Other ways to say: Strike gold, big find
Fun Fact/Origin: From mining when hitting soil with valuable minerals.
Usage: About discovering wealth or success.
49. Rolling in it
Meaning: Very wealthy.
Example Sentence:
• They’re rolling in it after selling the company.
• She must be rolling in it to afford that yacht.
Other ways to say: Loaded, rich
Fun Fact/Origin: “It” refers to money, popularized in British English.
Usage: Informal, about wealth.
50. Strike while the iron is hot
Meaning: Act quickly to take advantage of an opportunity.
Example Sentence:
• They struck while the iron was hot and bought the property.
• Investors should strike while the iron is hot.
Other ways to say: Seize the moment, act fast
Fun Fact/Origin: From blacksmithing, shaping metal while it’s hot and soft.
Usage: Often tied to profit-making chances.
51. Take someone to the cleaners
Meaning: Deprive someone of their money.
Example Sentence:
• The scammer took him to the cleaners.
• The divorce took him to the cleaners financially.
Other ways to say: Wipe out, bankrupt
Fun Fact/Origin: From 1900s U.S. slang about stripping someone bare.
Usage: Used about financial loss.
52. Throw good money after bad
Meaning: Keep spending on something failing.
Example Sentence:
• Don’t throw good money after bad on that old car.
• They kept funding the project, throwing good money after bad.
Other ways to say: Waste money, keep losing
Fun Fact/Origin: Recorded in the 1800s about failed investments.
Usage: Warns against more spending on losses.
53. Time is money
Meaning: Time should be used productively.
Example Sentence:
• Let’s get started—time is money.
• In sales, they know time is money.
Other ways to say: Time is valuable, work fast
Fun Fact/Origin: Benjamin Franklin popularized it in 1748.
Usage: Common in business contexts.
54. Where there’s muck, there’s brass
Meaning: Money can be made from dirty or unpleasant work.
Example Sentence:
• Waste management proves where there’s muck, there’s brass.
• Cleaning jobs show where there’s muck, there’s brass.
Other ways to say: Profits from dirty work, money in mess
Fun Fact/Origin: British phrase, “brass” means money.
Usage: Used when unglamorous work pays well.
55. Worth its weight in gold
Meaning: Extremely valuable.
Example Sentence:
• That advice is worth its weight in gold.
• Her help during the crisis was worth its weight in gold.
Other ways to say: Priceless, very valuable
Fun Fact/Origin: Gold has long been the standard for value.
Usage: About things or people of great worth.
Quiz: Idioms About Greed
Instruction: Choose the correct meaning for each idiom. Each question has only one correct answer.
Question Key
1. If someone is “rolling in dough,” they are:
A) Very wealthy
B) Baking bread
C) Covered in flour
2. “Feather one’s nest” means:
A) Decorate a bird’s home
B) Use a job or position to get personal money
C) Save up for a vacation
3. If you “make a killing,” you:
A) Earn a large amount of money quickly
B) Lose a lot of money
C) Hunt for food
4. “Gold digger” refers to:
A) A miner looking for gold
B) A person in a relationship mainly for money
C) Someone who collects coins as a hobby
5. If something is a “cash cow,” it is:
A) A cow that costs a lot to feed
B) Something that provides steady income
C) A farm with many cows
6. When you “keep up with the Joneses,” you:
A) Try to match your neighbors’ lifestyle
B) Avoid your neighbors
C) Help your neighbors with chores
7. “Break the bank” means:
A) Rob a bank
B) Spend all your money or a large amount
C) Save a lot of money
8. If someone has “deep pockets,” they are:
A) Wearing long pants
B) Very wealthy or have lots of funds
C) Good at sewing
9. “Grab the lion’s share” means:
A) Get the smallest portion
B) Take the biggest portion
C) Share equally with others
10. To be “money-grubbing” means:
A) Always looking for more money
B) Planting money in the ground
C) Refusing to accept payment
11. “Live high on the hog” means:
A) Live in luxury
B) Live on a farm
C) Eat pork every day
12. If “money is no object,” it means:
A) You refuse to touch money
B) You will spend any amount needed
C) You dislike spending
13. To “sell your soul” means:
A) Become religious
B) Trade morals for money or gain
C) Take a very low-paying job
14. “Dirty money” is:
A) Money with dust on it
B) Money earned illegally
C) Old money from history
15. “Easy come, easy go” means:
A) Quickly gained money is often quickly lost
B) It’s hard to earn money
C) You should save money carefully
16. “Have your cake and eat it too” means:
A) Eat dessert first
B) Want two opposite benefits at the same time
C) Share your cake with others
17. If money is “burning a hole in your pocket,” you:
A) Have counterfeit money
B) Want to spend it quickly
C) Can’t find your wallet
18. To “throw good money after bad” means:
A) Donate to charity
B) Waste more money on something failing
C) Invest in a safe business
19. “Worth its weight in gold” means:
A) Very valuable
B) Very heavy
C) Made of gold
20. “On the take” means:
A) Accepting bribes
B) Taking a vacation
C) Working for free
Answer Key
- A) Very wealthy
- B) Use a job or position to get personal money
- A) Earn a large amount of money quickly
- B) A person in a relationship mainly for money
- B) Something that provides steady income
- A) Try to match your neighbors’ lifestyle
- B) Spend all your money or a large amount
- B) Very wealthy or have lots of funds
- B) Take the biggest portion
- A) Always looking for more money
- A) Live in luxury
- B) You will spend any amount needed
- B) Trade morals for money or gain
- B) Money earned illegally
- A) Quickly gained money is often quickly lost
- B) Want two opposite benefits at the same time
- B) Want to spend it quickly
- B) Waste more money on something failing
- A) Very valuable
- A) Accepting bribes
Wrapping Up
Greed is a theme found in many everyday situations in the USA—from business deals to personal spending habits. These idioms about greed help describe people’s actions, whether they’re chasing more money, taking more than their share, or spending without thinking.
Learning these expressions can make conversations richer and easier to follow. By understanding them, you can also spot when someone might be driven by greed rather than fairness. These phrases are part of everyday American English and can be heard in movies, books, and daily life.
