top of page

Rich & Wealthy Vocabulary #2

Rich & Wealthy Vocabulary #2

By Alena Lien, 

​

​

23 October 2020



Here are 34 more words and phrases related to the rich and wealthy.



See also:



​

Click below to expand each section. 

​



Lifestyles of the rich and wealthy



"Luxury" (noun) has a few meanings. 

 - The pleasure and comfort you get from expensive and beautiful things. 

 - Something expensive which is pleasant to have but not really necessary.


It is often paired with other words to create compound nouns.

 - Luxury apartment/car/yacht

 - Luxury cruise/hotel/resort

 - Luxury brands/goods/items/market


Luxury does not mean high quality but it is often considered to be. Luxury brands tend to be expensive because of their name, reputation and long history that has helped them to achieve a luxury status.


Labelling things "luxury" also adds a level of prestige that is not quite the same with labelling something "high-end" or "premium."



  • "It's my dream to live a life of luxury. Not having to work or worry about bills."



"Luxurious" (adjective) - very comfortable and expensive.


  • "We spent a few nights at a luxurious hotel in Singapore."



"Upscale" (adjective) - characteristic of or intended for the wealthy and are of good quality.


It can be used to describe anything but it is often used to describe buildings or areas.



  • "Eve doesn't dress like she's rich but she lives in a pretty upscale neighbourhood."



"Opulent" (adjective) - expensive and luxurious, but it is often used to mean ostentatiously rich in appearance or showing great wealth. 

"Opulence" (noun)


"Opulent" is sometimes used in a fairly neutral way, but it is often considered negative and disapproving.


"Ostentatious" (adjective) - to show off your money, possession or power in an obvious way to attract admiration or notice. This is disapproving.



  • "Castles look so gloomy and dark outside until you step inside and see how opulent all the rooms and furnishings are."



"Lavish" (adjective) - large in quantity and expensive or impressive.


"Sumptuous" (adjective) - impressive in a way that looks expensive.


To me, these are not as disapproving as "opulent."



  • "The lavish wedding was followed by a sumptuous feast prepared by one of the best chefs in the country."



"Have money to burn" (idiom) - to spend a lot of money on things that are not necessary.



  • "I don't know what they do but they certainly have money to burn."



"Have money to play with" (expression) - to have money available to use.



  • "Since he paid off his car, he has more money to play with."



"The high life" (noun) - the exciting way of living where rich and successful people enjoy themselves by spending a lot of time and money in fashionable places.



  • "Influencers look like they're living the high life on Instagram."



"Live like a king/lord" (idiom)

"Live high on/off the hog" (idiom)

"In the lap of luxury" (idiom)


All of these mean to have a luxurious way of life or to live in great comfort with plenty of money.



  • "You can live like a king if you move to a cheap country."

  • "It's a stereotype for people to live high on the hog when they become senior executives of a large company."

  • "The royal family live in a lap of luxury in the palace."



"More money than sense" (idiom) - usually used in a humorous way describe people who wastes money.



  • "Products and services that are labelled "luxury" often seem to be aimed at people with more money than sense."



"The jet set" (noun) - rich, fashionable people who travel around the world enjoying themselves.

A "jet-setter" (noun) is a member of the jet set. 

"Jet-setting" (informal adjective)



  • "He was a jet-setting bachelor until he decided to settle down to start a family."



"Privilege" (noun) - the advantage that a person or group has, because they are rich or because of their position.



  • "The country's elites are often more concerned with status and privilege than with the problems of the people."



"Socialite" (noun) - someone of high social class, who goes to a lot of parties and social events - usually they are wealthy and associate with other wealthy people.



  • "It's common for socialites to interact with celebrities, politicians and industry leaders."






Ways of becoming rich



"Inheritance" (noun) - money, property or assets received from someone who has died.


A synonym for inheritance is "legacy."


"Come into" (something) (phrasal verb) - someone received something as a result of the death of a relation.



  • "She came into some money when her grandfather died."

  • "He came into his inheritance and was able to buy a house."



"Heir/heiress" (noun) - a person who will legally receive money, property or a title from another person when they die. This is often used when talking about wealthy people.



  • "I was the only heir to our family's fortune until my brother came along."



"Born into money" (expression) - describes a person who was born into a rich family.

"Born with a silver spoon in your mouth" (idiom) - to have a high social position and be rich from birth.



  • "Eve was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. I've never seen her worry about money."



"Rags-to-riches" (adjective) describes a person who was poor that becomes rich.



  • "I love a good rags-to-riches story."



"Hit the jackpot" (idiom) - to suddenly get or win a lot of money.



  • "My cousin seems to have finally hit the jackpot with his latest business idea."



"Strike it rich" (idiom) - to become rich suddenly and unexpectedly.



  • "Her ancestor struck it rich during the gold rush."



"Strike gold" (idiom) - to make large profits or to become rich.


  • "Wally struck gold when he invested in a niche company."



"Make a fortune" (expression) - to acquire great wealth by one's own efforts.


"Self-made" (adjective) - to be rich and successful as a result of one's own efforts.



  • "Eve is a self-made millionaire who made a fortune selling high quality makeup and creating online tutorials to promote them."



"Get-rich-quick" (adjective) describes a plan or wish to make a lot of money in a short time. This is considered disapproving.



  • "There's nothing wrong with get-rich-quick schemes if you actually get rich."



"Marry money" (idiom) - to marry a rich person.



  • "The easiest way to get rich quick is to marry money."






Other related vocabulary



"Look/feel like a million dollars" (informal expression) - to look or feel extremely good.



  • "I feel like a million dollars after a day at the spa."



"Early to bed and early to rise (makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise)" (saying) emphasises that someone who gets enough sleep and starts work early in the day will have a successful life.




bottom of page