price gouging
10
6.6
- noun
- /praɪs ˈɡaʊdʒɪŋ/
- Specialized
:
cobro abusivo
- The manufacturers argue that pricing reflects the value of the medication, but others interpret it as unscrupulous price gouging and call for policy solutions on moral grounds.
This is not to say that the price gouging statutes are wrong.
- This is not to say that the price gouging statutes are wrong.
- There's a lot of issues with the price gouging and the lack of price transparency there.
- It's not like the price gouging or the rent seeking of a traditional monopoly.
- And she came up with a very concrete plan on housing that was solid on price gouging, that was solid.
- But the, the, all these policies that she's that she's proposing on top of the, you know, the price gouging.
Examples
-
All you need for proof is the constant complaining about 'price gouging' every time the price of gas goes up.
Blog text (4) -
My team has done a lot of work on hospital price gouging and predatory billing.
-
You know the price gouging for storage is out of control.
-
At this point, cold dark houses have owners at the point where a little electricity price gouging would be welcome.
Blog text (7) -
But utility regulation has hardly prevented price gouging among energy companies.
Blog text (7) -
For there remain some industries in which competition is insufficiently effective to protect consumers from price gouging and inferior service.
Academic text (1997) -
For its part, the Bush administration has the FTC saying it will investigate price gouging.
Blog text (15) -
Because at least one state law on price gouging has a component that prevents retailers from stockpiling.
Blog text (7) -
The Iranian media regularly complain that China is price gouging, that its materials are inferior, and that cheap Chinese imports are driving Iran's small industries out of business.
Academic text (2011) -
After the hurricane, many stores engaged in price gouging by charging exorbitant rates for basic supplies.
Synonyms
3
7.5
A very high, unfair price for goods or services
1
5.8
Charging someone a very high, unfair price for something ordinary
1
6.9
An unfair price that is much too high
A person or business that tries to get unfairly large amounts of money by taking advantage of a crisis
Antonyms
How Expensive
- Specialized
10
6.6
- Informal
1
5.8
- Informal
31
7.2
4
4.6
31
3.5
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'gouging' (demanding money unfairly) applied to 'price' yields the practice of charging excessively high prices. This follows a standard noun-of-action pattern and is predictable for learners who know both constituent words, so the phrase is morphologically transparent.
Etymology
Price gouging comes from the verb gouge, which means to cut a deep hole; imagine a seller cutting into a buyer's pocket to take too much money. So, price gouging means 'charging customers very high prices', often when they have no other choice.