ripoff
or rip-off
[ rip-awf, -of ]
/ ˈrɪpˌɔf, -ˌɒf /
noun Slang.
an act or instance of ripping off another or others; a theft, cheat, or swindle.
exploitation, especially of those who cannot prevent or counter it.
a copy or imitation.
a person who rips off another or others; thief or swindler.
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Origin of ripoff
First recorded in 1965–70; noun use of verb phrase rip off
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for ripoff
The last band I was in was kind of a Sonic Youth rip-off band, and I thought that that was my calling.
This is why capitalism, he concludes triumphantly, is “no rip-off.”
In Dinesh D’Souza’s ‘America,’ Slavery Wasn’t So Bad, but Hillary and Barack Are Socialist Devils|Andrew Romano|June 30, 2014|DAILY BEASTI even liked her in House at the End of the Street, the low-budget Silence of the Lambs rip-off that came out last fall.
‘Argo,’ ‘Silver Linings Playbook,’ ‘Lincoln’: Who Will Win On Oscar Night?|Ramin Setoodeh, Marlow Stern|February 20, 2013|DAILY BEASTToday, the GOP released their Pledge to America, their rip-off of the popular and galvanizing 1994 Contract with America.
British Dictionary definitions for ripoff
rip off
verb
(tr) to tear violently or roughly (from)
(adverb) slang to steal from or cheat (someone)
noun rip-off
slang an article or articles stolen
slang a grossly overpriced article
slang the act of stealing or cheating
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Idioms and Phrases with ripoff
rip off
Steal, as in They fired him when they caught him ripping off some of the merchandise.
Cheat, defraud, as in These advertising claims have ripped off a great many consumers.
Copy, plagiarize, as in He was sued for ripping off someone else's thesis. All three usages are slang from the second half of the 1900s.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.