American Accent
Slang & idioms
"cost an arm and a leg", drawn literally
Literally

cost an arm and a leg

(phrase)Casual

What it actually means

Extremely expensive — far more than you'd want to pay or expected to pay.

In a sentence

  • “That bag cost her an arm and a leg.”
  • “Concert tickets these days cost an arm and a leg.”

Also known as

priceya fortune

Where it’s used

everyday

Listen + practice

Hear it spoken naturally

Read the expression aloud — we’ll score your pronunciation and flag the sounds to work on.

Click to record

More idioms like this

bite the bullet

To force yourself through something unpleasant because you have to — to do the hard thing now and get it over with.

the ball is in your court

It's your turn to make a decision or take action — the responsibility has been passed to you.

hit the nail on the head

To say or do exactly the right thing — to pinpoint the truth or solution precisely.

cost an arm and a leg — American slang definition + audio