highway robbery

noun

1. robbery committed on a highway against travelers, as by a highwayman.

2. Informal.,  a price or fee that is unreasonably high; exorbitant charge.

highway robbery

noun

1. informal,  blatant overcharging

Other Word Forms

• highway robber noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of highway robbery¹

First recorded in 1770–80

Idioms and Phrases

The exaction of an exorbitantly high price or fee. For example, You paid ten dollars for that meat? That's highway robbery. This term, used figuratively since the late 1800s, alludes to literal robbery of travelers on or near a public road.