Croesus

noun

Croe·​sus ˈkrē-səs 

: a very rich man

Did you know?

The original Croesus was a 6th-century B.C. king of Lydia, an ancient kingdom in what is now Turkey. Croesus conquered many surrounding regions, grew very wealthy, and became the subject of legends. In one legend, he was visited by Solon, the wise Athenian lawgiver. (Historians say this isn't chronologically possible, but it makes a good story.) Solon supposedly told Croesus, who thought he had everything: "Account no man happy before his death." These words made Croesus angry, and he threw the lawmaker out of his court. Croesus would rethink Solon's pronouncement later when his empire was overthrown by the Persians. Croesus' name shows up in the phrase "rich as Croesus," meaning "filthy rich," and it has also entered English as a generic term for someone extremely wealthy.

Synonyms

• capitalist
• deep pocket
• fat cat
• have
• money
• moneybags
• plutocrat
• silk stocking

Examples of Croesus in a Sentence

if you have to ask the price, you're not the Croesus for whom this palatial yacht is intended

Recent Examples on the Web

Elsa’s father, Ferdinando, was as rich as Croesus but, scandalized by his daughter turning her back on the family’s prim, conservative ways, left her to make a living for herself. —Hamish Bowles, Vogue, 5 Aug. 2024

As long as the boom proceeded, successful traders became as rich as Croesus. —Alan S. Blinder, Foreign Affairs, 16 Feb. 2015

Toyota, with more money than Croesus and more engineers than MIT, ran an F1 team from 2002 to 2009, reportedly spending hundreds of millions of dollars. —Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, 17 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Croesus, king of Lydia, famed for his wealth

First Known Use

1621, in the meaning defined above

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Biographical Definition

Croesus

biographical name

Croe·​sus ˈkrē-səs 

died circa 546 b.c. king of Lydia (circa 560–546)