rip-off
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: 1. An act of stealing, especially by charging a grossly excessive price; a swindle: A "rip-off" refers to a situation where someone is cheated or defrauded, often by being made to pay far more than something is worth. 2. A cheap or poor imitation; a copy: Informally, it can also mean something that is a blatant and inferior copy of an original product or idea.
Usage
- Use "rip-off" as a countable noun to describe a specific instance of fraud or overcharging.
- It is commonly used in informal contexts to express that something is not worth its price or is a shameless copy.
- It often appears in the pattern: "That [product/service] is a rip-off."
Examples
- As an act of overcharging:
- Fifty dollars for a simple t-shirt? That's a complete rip-off.
- The tour turned out to be a rip-off; we paid for a luxury bus but got a cramped van.
- As a poor imitation:
- That movie is just a cheap rip-off of a famous Hollywood blockbuster.
- The designer accused the company of selling rip-offs of her handbag designs.
Advanced Usage
- "to feel ripped off": This common verb phrase (derived from the noun) describes the feeling of having been cheated or overcharged.
- After seeing the low-quality work, I felt totally ripped off.
Variants and Related Words
- Rip (verb): To tear something quickly and forcefully. The noun "rip-off" metaphorically extends from this idea of being "torn off" or separated from one's money unfairly.
- Rip-off artist (noun phrase): A person who habitually commits frauds or swindles.
Synonyms
- Swindle: A fraudulent scheme or action.
- Scam: A dishonest scheme for making money.
- Con: An act of tricking or deceiving someone.
- Fraud: Wrongful deception for financial gain.
- Sham: Something that is not what it purports to be.
Related Phrases
- Daylight robbery: (Idiom) An obvious and unfair overcharge, similar in meaning to "rip-off."
- The price of water at the stadium is daylight robbery.