easy money

noun

1. money obtained with a minimum of effort.
2. money obtained by deception, fraud, artifice, etc.

easy money

noun

1. money made with little effort, sometimes dishonestly
2. commerce money that can be borrowed at a low interest rate

Word History and Origins

Origin of easy money¹

An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900

Idioms and Phrases

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 .

Example Sentences

But in the real world, when she lets herself be vulnerable with one of these men, she sees just how easy money makes it for someone to toss her aside.

From Salon

Hisashi Kobayashi, a taxi driver in Kyoto, said business was so good that taking a day off felt like passing up easy money.

From New York Times

School dropouts soar in the villages, she says, as boys find easy money through selling narcotics, illegal tree-felling and the mining of river sand.

From Seattle Times

Few realized that Greenspan’s “easy money” policies and allowing bank consolidation were carrying unintended consequences.

From Seattle Times

But Albini never took easy money as an opportunity to coast: Listen to how carefully he gets the sound of fingers on guitar strings into this beefcake power ballad.

From Los Angeles Times