Rip off meaning
Rip off means to make someone pay too much for something (informal). It can also mean to pull something off quickly and roughly.
rip somebody or something off
rip off · ripped · ripping
That taxi driver ripped us off. It’s only two kilometres!
Rip off meanings and examples
3 meanings, each with its own CEFR level. A level marked ~ is our estimate: Oxford and Cambridge give none for that meaning.
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1
Make someone pay too much for something (informal)
rip somebody or something off
- That taxi driver ripped us off. It’s only two kilometres!
- Tourists often get ripped off near the station.
- Don’t buy it there. They’ll rip you off.
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2
Pull something off quickly and roughly
rip something off
- The kids ripped off the wrapping paper in seconds.
- Just rip the plaster off. It hurts less.
- The wind ripped the roof off the shed.
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3
Copy or steal someone’s idea or work (informal)
rip something off
- The band ripped off an old song and called it new.
- Their logo looks like they ripped it off from us.
- Did that film rip off a Korean drama?
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use rip off in real conversations
- Learn new words with picture cards
- Talk with Felix, an AI tutor, about the things you love
- Short lessons at your level, a few minutes a day
Is rip off separable?
Rip off is separable: rip off the label, rip the label off. With a pronoun, it goes in the middle: rip it off, rip me off.
The noun is a rip-off (UK) or ripoff (US): Ten euros for a coffee? What a rip-off! It also means a cheap copy of something.
Verb tenses for rip off
| Present | I rip off · she rips off |
|---|---|
| Past | ripped off |
| Present perfect | have ripped off |
| -ing form | ripping off |
Common mistakes with rip off
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: The shop ripped off me.
Right: The shop ripped me off.
A pronoun goes between rip and off.
Wrong: This hotel is a rip off.
Right: This hotel is a rip-off.
The noun has a hyphen in UK English; the verb does not.
Wrong: I was ripped off by fifty dollars.
Right: I was ripped off. They charged me fifty dollars too much.
Rip off does not take by plus the extra amount.
Synonyms and opposites of rip off
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- overchargeneutral word for asking too much money
- scama trick to steal money, more serious than a rip-off
- tear offpull off paper or cloth; less rough than rip off
Opposite
- a bargainsomething cheap and good, the opposite of a rip-off
- stick onfix something to a surface with glue or tape
Rip off quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1Twenty euros for a sandwich? They’re trying to ___ tourists.
Rip someone off means make them pay too much.
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2Choose the right sentence.
A pronoun goes between rip and off.
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3She ___ the old poster from the wall in one quick move.
Rip off can mean pull something off a surface quickly.
Find your level
The phrasal verbs test adapts as you answer, from A2 to C1, and shows which ones you miss.
- get offA2leave a bus, train, plane, boat or bike
- take offA2remove clothes, shoes or glasses from your body
- put offB1decide to do something later than you planned
- come offB1become separated from the thing it was fixed to
- go offB2start ringing loudly, like an alarm, or explode, like a bomb
- turn offA2make a light, machine or tap stop working
- give offB2produce a smell, heat, light or gas
- set offB1start a journey
Rip off FAQ
Questions people ask about rip off.
What does what a rip-off mean?
It means the price is far too high for what you get. Five pounds for chips? What a rip-off!
Is rip off rude?
It is informal, not rude. You can say it to friends, but in a complaint letter say overcharged instead.
What does rip-off mean for a product or film?
It can mean a cheap copy of something famous: That phone is an iPhone rip-off. That film is a rip-off of an old one.
Use rip off in real conversations
In Slova you learn new words with picture cards, then use them when you talk about the things you love. A few minutes a day, at your level.