Refers to a person who robs travelers on the road; historically associated with Edo-period bandits but can be used figuratively for modern muggers.
They say that highwaymen used to appear on this mountain pass long ago.
Be careful not to run into a mugger on the street at night.
highway robbery; holdup; mugging
The act of robbing travelers or passersby; can be used literally or figuratively for exorbitant prices.
This price is practically highway robbery.
A holdup occurred at the convenience store late at night.
泥棒 is a general word for thief or burglar, focusing on stealing property, whereas 追いはぎ emphasizes confronting and robbing a person directly.
Standard spelling with okurigana; the most common written form.
Search-only form with variant kanji; not standard.
Irregular okurigana usage; rarely used in modern writing.
Search-only form; not standard.
Search-only form; not standard.
Alternate spelling using the kanji 剥; less common but still encountered.
Compound of 追い (chasing) and 剥ぎ (stripping off), literally 'chase and strip', referring to the act of robbing travelers by stripping them of their belongings.