rip off

British  

verb

1. (tr) to tear violently or roughly (from)

2. slang (adverb) to steal from or cheat (someone)

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noun

1. slang an article or articles stolen

2. slang a grossly overpriced article

3. slang the act of stealing or cheating

rip off Idioms  

1. Steal, as in They fired him when they caught him ripping off some of the merchandise .

2. Cheat, defraud, as in These advertising claims have ripped off a great many consumers .

3. 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.

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Explanation

A rip-off is when someone deliberately overcharges for something they're selling, or steals someone else's idea. A movie that uses the exact same plot as an earlier movie might be considered a rip-off. Rip-off is an informal term for a theft or fraud of some kind. If you claim you're selling rare, antique postcards, but they're actually cheap copies you made at home, that's a rip-off. And if you copy an artist's design, print it on a t-shirt, and sell it, that's also a rip-off. First used in the 1960s, rip-off comes from African American slang, from the vernacular rip, "to steal."

Example Sentences

And don’t discount that Chinese chip makers will figure out how to rip off Nvidia’s technology.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 10, 2025

Adam Hug, leader of the council, said: "We have known for a long time that US candy stores rip off customers, but charging £900 for two packets of sweets is a new low."

From BBC • May 1, 2025

In January, Sir Paul McCartney told the BBC the proposed changes to copyright law could allow "rip off" technology that might make it impossible for musicians and artists to make a living.

From BBC • Feb. 24, 2025

“Financial rip-offs don’t just rip off Democrats or Republicans,” Kelleher told me.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 11, 2025

Instead, I dared to rip off some tiny-trucker wisdom.

From "Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet" by Joanne Proulx

Related Words

• swindle