# rip off

CEFR B2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/rip-off
Updated: 2026-10-22

## Definition

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.

For teachers: 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.

## Pitfalls

- Not "They ripped off me." but "They ripped me off." — When the object is a pronoun, it must go between the verb and the particle.

## Usage notes

- 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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.