filthy lucre


Also found in: Thesaurus, Idioms, Wikipedia.

fil′thy lu′cre


n.
Facetious. money, as contrasted with nonmaterialistic rewards.
[1520–30]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.filthy lucre - shameful profit; "he would sell his soul for filthy lucre"
net income, net profit, profit, profits, earnings, lucre, net - the excess of revenues over outlays in a given period of time (including depreciation and other non-cash expenses)
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
References in classic literature ?
She was in pursuit of fame, not filthy lucre, and her literary dreams were as yet untainted by mercenary considerations.
Then she tried a child's story, which she could easily have disposed of if she had not been mercenary enough to demand filthy lucre for it.
Sometimes, moreover, he made personal application to individuals, holding out his small black palm, and otherwise plainly signifying his excessive desire for whatever filthy lucre might happen to be in anybody's pocket.
``Good Jew good beast good earthworm!'' said the yeoman, losing patience; ``an thou dost go on to put thy filthy lucre in the balance with thy daughter's life and honour, by Heaven, I will strip thee of every maravedi thou hast in the world, before three days are out!''
Despite the lure of filthy lucre I declined to download the attachment although I have checked my bank account: so far there has been no deposit of Arab Emirate Dirham.
You can play good, bad or indifferent, just do not get relegated because you will lose all of that filthy lucre.
In other words, they should not auction their 'good conscience' for filthy lucre, but instead be bold, sincere and articulate in speaking truth to power.
But, if you're a good bluffer, filthy lucre is not essential.
But exchanging our women's honor and dismissing their wartime ordeal for such filthy lucre is too cheap a price.
Justice free from filthy lucre, unbiased, kind, forgiving, even-handed, powerful to level the advantages of wealth, strong to resist the ploys of avarice, deaf to demands of politics, eager to lift the shuffling plight of those who suffer daily where want and ignorance hide hope and drive hungry souls to cruelty and violence.
Filthy lucre. It is literally putting a price on lives.