Thesaurus.com
Dictionary.com
Definitions

an arm and a leg

ADJECTIVE
dear
Synonyms
STRONGEST
valuable
STRONG
fancy high steep stiff
WEAK
at a premium cher costly high-priced out of sight overpriced pretty penny pricey prized
Antonyms
STRONG
moderate soft
WEAK
cheap common despised hateful inexpensive low-priced unimportant valueless worthless
ADJECTIVE
expensive
Synonyms
STRONGEST
costly extravagant fancy high lavish overpriced pricey upscale valuable
WEAK
at a premium big-ticket dear excessive exorbitant highway robbery holdup immoderate inordinate invaluable out of sight plush posh pretty penny rich ritzy sky-high steep stiff swank too high uneconomical unreasonable
Antonyms
STRONGEST
economical reasonable unimportant worthless
WEAK
cheap inexpensive low-priced moderate

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"It should not cost an arm and a leg to take the family to a baseball game or attend your favorite musician's show."

From BBC • Sep. 18, 2025

“It should not cost an arm and a leg to take the family to a baseball game or attend your favorite musician’s show.”

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 18, 2025

But there may be other items on the list that do not cost an arm and a leg.

From Reuters • Feb. 21, 2023

This time, in a work well-timed to the world’s inflation crisis, they want to show that it doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg, either.

From Washington Post • Jun. 26, 2022

He said that it had cost him an arm and a leg and that it was now his lucky chess set.

From "Kira-Kira" by Cynthia Kadohata