ripoff

or rip-off

[ rip-awf, -of ]

/ ˈrɪpˌɔf, -ˌɒf /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for ripoff on Thesaurus.com

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.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

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. 2023

How to use ripoff in a sentence

Although the blood-spattered offices will be off-limits, staff have vowed to continue producing the magazine.
France Mourns—and Hunts|Nico Hines, Christopher Dickey|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
A passing off-duty school safety officer named Fred Lucas said that he had been told the man was a drug dealer.
Shot Down During the NYPD Slowdown|Michael Daly|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The NOPD fired Knight in 1973 for stealing lumber from a construction site as an off-duty cop.
The Louisiana Racists Who Courted Steve Scalise|Jason Berry|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The off-year special election into which Duke threw himself drew little media notice at first.
The Louisiana Racists Who Courted Steve Scalise|Jason Berry|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Aaron Paul may play a young Han Solo in the first Star Wars spin-off.
Juiciest ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Rumors (and Some Debunked Ones)|Rich Goldstein|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
A far-off volley rumbled over the plain, and a few birds stirred uneasily among the trees.
The Red Year|Louis Tracy
They ain't got such a rip-roarin' start of us—an' I'm the boy can foller that track from hell t' breakfast an' back again.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
Jean was to be an architect—God knows why—but Aristide settled it, definitely, off-hand.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke
In favorable parts of the trail he must do better than that, to off-set losses of time where the going was most difficult.
Motor Matt's "Century" Run|Stanley R. Matthews
There was something about the man that Matt liked, in spite of the deceit he had practised at the start-off of their acquaintance.
Motor Matt's "Century" Run|Stanley R. Matthews

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

Other 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.