Phrasal verb
rip off
Irregular verb
Forms
Infinitive
rip off
Past
ripped off
Past participle
ripped off
Definition
phrasal verb. to cheat someone by making them pay too much money for something. You also use this when someone steals an idea or a design from another person.
phrasal verb. To overcharge someone or to plagiarize an idea or work. Transitive; the object can be the person being cheated or the thing being copied.
Examples
“The street vendor tried to rip off the tourists.”
“I realized the mechanic was trying to rip me off when he charged three hundred dollars for a ten-minute job.”
“Several critics claimed the artist's new installation was a direct attempt to rip off a famous sculpture from the 1960s.”
Examples
simple
“The street vendor tried to rip off the tourists.”
contextual
“I realized the mechanic was trying to rip me off when he charged three hundred dollars for a ten-minute job.”
complex
“Several critics claimed the artist's new installation was a direct attempt to rip off a famous sculpture from the 1960s.”
Usage
This phrase is informal and often appears in the passive voice when talking about being cheated.
Teaching tip
Contrast with 'overcharge' for price and 'plagiarize' for ideas; note that the noun form 'rip-off' usually requires a hyphen.
Pitfall
They ripped off me.
They ripped me off.
When the object is a pronoun, it must go between the verb and the particle.
Phrasal verb
Particles
off
Separability
optional
Pattern
rip + off + object
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/rip-off