rip-off; overcharging; highway robbery
Colloquial noun for intentionally charging an unfairly high price, often in tourist traps or shady businesses.
I got ripped off at a tourist spot.
That shop is a rip-off, so be careful.
Katakana spelling used for emphasis or in informal contexts.
Rarely used kanji form; the word is almost always written in kana.
Derived from the verb ぼったくる (to overcharge), which itself likely comes from ぼる (to overcharge) with an emphatic element. The kanji ぼっ手繰り is ateji and rarely used.