rip-off

/ˈrip-ˌȯf/ (ame, mw)

rip-off — noun

1. something that costs far more than it is worth, making you feel cheated after pa

1.名詞B2
釋義

something that costs far more than it is worth, making you feel cheated after paying for it.

例句

Paloma paid fifty dollars for that T-shirt, which is an absolute rip-off.

be an absolute rip-off: emphasising unfair price

The museum charged twenty dollars for a bottle of water — what a rip-off!

同義詞
  • overpriced

    adjective; less emotional than rip-off, used in more neutral descriptions

  • scam

    noun; emphasises the dishonest trick rather than just the high price

  • daylight robbery

    idiom; stronger, more dramatic version of rip-off

反義詞
  • bargain

    something well worth the price

  • steal

    informal; something bought very cheaply

文法句型

be a rip-off

a complete/total rip-off

用法筆記

Used in everyday conversation; stronger than 'expensive' — it implies unfairness or dishonesty. Common in the pattern 'X is a rip-off' or 'X is a complete/total rip-off.'

常見錯誤

❌This hotel is a rip-off expensive.
✅This hotel is a rip-off.' or 'This hotel is ridiculously expensive.
💡'rip-off' is a noun, not an adjective; do not use it with 'expensive.'
❌The price is a rip-off expensive.
✅The price is a rip-off.
💡'rip-off' already carries the idea of unfair pricing; adding 'expensive' is redundant.

2. an act of stealing something, especially someone else's idea, design, or product

2.名詞B2
釋義

an act of stealing something, especially someone else's idea, design, or product and passing it off as one's own.

例句

Eric's new phone design is a rip-off of an older model from a rival company.

rip-off of [something]: showing what was copied

The movie was a cheap rip-off of a popular science-fiction film from the 1980s.

cheap rip-off: poor-quality copy

同義詞
  • copycat

    noun or adjective; focuses on imitation, less negative connotation

  • knockoff

    noun; specifically a cheap copy of a branded product

  • imitation

    noun; neutral term that does not imply dishonesty

反義詞
  • original

    the authentic, first-created version

文法句型

be a rip-off of [something]

用法筆記

Commonly used for intellectual property theft (movies, music, fashion designs). When referring to physical theft (e.g. stealing wallets), the word 'theft' is more straightforward.

常見錯誤

❌He made a rip-off of my wallet.
✅He stole my wallet.
💡'rip-off' is not used for simple theft of a physical object from a person.