peɪ ən ɑːrm ənd ə leɡ
Money & Finance
informal
beginner
- Literally:
- Giving up one's limbs as payment
What does "pay an arm and a leg" mean?
- To pay an extremely high price
- To spend a lot of money on something
Examples
- We paid an arm and a leg for those concert tickets.
- Houses in this area cost an arm and a leg.
- I don't want to pay an arm and a leg for a new phone.
Origin
Possibly from post-WWII America, referencing the high cost of prosthetic limbs for veterans. Alternatively, from portrait painters charging extra for painting limbs.
How to use it
Very common informal expression. Often used to complain about high prices.
Similar expressions
cost a fortune
pay through the nose
break the bank
Opposites
dirt cheap
a steal
bargain
Related idioms
- make ends meet
To earn just enough money to cover basic expenses
- cost an arm and a leg
To be very expensive
- money doesn't grow on trees
Money is not easily acquired; it must be earned
- break the bank
To cost too much money
- hit the jackpot
To achieve great success or win something valuable
- go through the roof
To increase dramatically or to very high levels
Use it in a practice answer
Try "pay an arm and a leg" in a CELPIP-style Speaking or Writing task. The AI feedback tells you whether your word choice worked.