How do you say “Make a killing” in Spanish?
The closest natural Spanish equivalent is hacer su agosto, which literally means “to make one's August”. English speakers use make a killing to mean to make a very large profit. An established Spanish expression for profiting greatly from an opportunity. It need not happen in August. Register: informal. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural Spanish
hacer su agosto
/aˈseɾ su aˈɣosto/
- Literal meaning
- “to make one's August”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
94 out of 100
What a native Spanish speaker would actually say
A sudden burst of demand can let a seller “hacer su agosto”. The phrase draws attention to the profitable opportunity.
Change the possessive with the person: “hicimos nuestro agosto”. It can be admiring or suggest that someone took excessive advantage.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone5 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity2 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
In context
English
The umbrella stall made a killing when rain hit the outdoor concert.
Spanish
El puesto de paraguas hizo su agosto cuando empezó a llover durante el concierto al aire libre.
English
She bought the old chair cheaply and made a killing when she sold it.
Spanish
Compró la silla antigua barata e hizo su agosto al venderla.
Related expressions
- What “Make a killing” means in English
- Bring home the bacon, to earn the money needed to support a household
Last updated 2026-10-01