Slang Words about Money

Learn 12 American English slang words about money!

• Read the slang words and example sentences
• Listen to the pronunciation
• Say the words and sentences out loud
• Try the quiz

#1 – bucks

“Bucks” means dollars.

“I love your watch! Was it expensive?”

“Nah, I got it for fifteen bucks!” 

You can use “bucks” for both large and small amounts of money – any number from “a couple bucks” to “a million bucks”!

# 2 – dough 

“Dough” is slang for money.

“You can save a lot of dough if you book your plane tickets well in advance.”

#3 – broke

If you are “broke,” it means you have no money.

“When I was in college, I was so broke that I had to borrow money from my sister to buy toilet paper.”

#4 – chip in

To “chip in” is to contribute money for a collective purchase.

“We’re buying a present for the teacher. Could you chip in?”

#5 – cough up

If you “cough up” money, it means you give or spend money reluctantly (you don’t want to).

“I had to cough up $300 for repairs to my car that the insurance didn’t cover.”

 

#6 – loaded

A person who is “loaded” is rich.

“Karen’s new boyfriend drives a Ferrari and wears a Rolex – he must be loaded!”

#7 – rake in

When you “rake in” money, it means you get or earn money in large amounts.

“J.K. Rowling has been raking in money ever since the Harry Potter books became popular.”

“Rake in” is often used with “dough” – “raking in the dough” – or with “it” – “raking it in” (and “it” is understood to be money).

#8 – on me  

If you are having dinner or coffee with a friend and you say “This is on me,” it means you will pay for it all – your part and your friend’s part.

“Let me see the check…”

“Don’t worry about it. This is on me.”

You can also say “Drinks are on me” or “Lunch is on me” to tell your friend that you will pay for your part and her part.

#9 – How much do I owe ya? 

This is an informal way to say “How much do I need to pay?”

“Thanks for fixing my TV. How much do I owe ya?”

#10 – splurge

If you “splurge,” it means you spend money on something extra or extravagant.

“I know I need to save money, but this month I splurged on a Dolce & Gabbana handbag.”

#11 – scrape by

A person who is “scraping by” has barely enough money to survive.

“With a minimum wage and three kids to support, she’s just scraping by.”

#12 – dip into

When you “dip into” your savings, it means you spend money that you were saving for something else.

“We had to dip into our retirement fund to pay for our vacation to Tahiti, but it was worth it!”