filthy lucre

American  

noun

1. money.

   to lose one's health for the sake of filthy lucre.

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filthy lucre Idioms  

1. Money; originally, money obtained dishonestly. For example, She didn't like the job but loved the filthy lucre in the form of her weekly paycheck. This term comes from the Bible (Titus 1:11), where it refers to those who teach wrongly for the sake of money. In time it came to be used loosely, and usually jokingly, for money in general, and in the mid-1900s gave rise to the jocular slang term the filthy for “money.” Although both versions may be dying out, the expression filthy rich, for “extremely wealthy,” survives.

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Etymology

Origin of filthy lucre

First recorded in 1520–30

Example Sentences

If the one is vilified for its worship of filthy lucre, the other is tarred by its worship of frivolous lamé.

From New York Times • May 27, 2021

You will, however, get your money’s worth, one way or another: whether it’s from the crime thriller or the thought-provoking sermon on filthy lucre that it throws in, at no extra charge.

From Washington Post • Dec. 19, 2017

There are still a few idealists out there cherishing the belief that writing, as art, mustn’t be contaminated by filthy lucre.

From Slate • Jan. 10, 2017

Indeed, Keating’s shift from opposing filth to filthy lucre was quickly reflected in CDL’s operating budget, almost 90 percent of which went into administration and further fundraising, rather than actual activism against smut.

From Salon • Apr. 13, 2014

Of course for some Everesters myriad other, less virtuous, motives came into play, as well: minor celebrity, career advancement, ego massage, ordinary bragging rights, filthy lucre.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer