easy money

American  

noun

1. money obtained with a minimum of effort.

2. money obtained by deception, fraud, artifice, etc.

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easy money British  

noun

1. money made with little effort, sometimes dishonestly

2. commerce money that can be borrowed at a low interest rate

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easy money Idioms  

1. Money obtained readily, with little effort and, often, illegally. For example, Winning the lottery—that's easy money! or I was wary of making easy money with the insider tips I'd been given. [c. 1900] Also see fast buck.

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Etymology

Origin of easy money

An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900

Example Sentences

Many naive prediction-market players are following in the footsteps of solo speculators searching for easy money in financial markets, where decades of studies have documented that day traders rarely make money.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 2026

"I think that's a very serious line of inquiry in relation to these events, we've seen a pattern... people taking cash, as it looks like quick and easy money."

From BBC • Apr. 20, 2026

Price-to-earnings ratios have ratcheted sharply higher in recent weeks, suggesting much of the rally’s easy money has already been made.

From Barron's • Feb. 17, 2026

With the easy money having been made this year on power and electricity companies linked to AI, investors will need a much more selective strategy to see gains in the sector for 2026.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 29, 2025

They were, at least, agonizingly aware of the easy money in the vicinity and convinced that it was theirs for a few words in the right key.

From " The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald