extortionate
法外な
解説 Definition
価格や要求が法外に高い、不当に過大な様子。
Extortionate describes a price, fee, or demand that is much too high and unfair. It suggests that someone is charging far more than is reasonable. The word is often used when criticizing costs or business practices.
覚え方のコツ Memory Tip
extortionate は、ただ "expensive" なだけではなく、「払わせ方がひどい」「ぼったくりだ」と感じる高すぎる値段を表す語。覚えるときは expensive → overpriced → extortionate の順で不当さが強まると並べるとよい。よく extortionate prices / fees / rents / interest rates の形で出て、「高い」より「搾り取られる感覚」があるのが核心。単に豪華・特別という意味ではない点にも注意。
Build a scale in your mind: `expensive`, then `overpriced`, then `extortionate`. The last one adds the feeling that the price is almost like forcing money out of you. It often appears with `prices`, `fees`, `rents`, or `interest rates`.
例文
The hotel charged extortionate prices during the peak holiday season.
そのホテルはピークの休暇シーズン中に法外な価格を請求した。
Consumers protested against the extortionate fees imposed by the new parking regulations.
消費者は新しい駐車規制による法外な料金に抗議した。
The extortionate cost of prescription drugs forces many patients to skip their medication.
処方薬の法外な費用のため、多くの患者が薬を飲まずに済ませざるを得ない。
extortionate の類義語・関連語
extortionate の語源・成り立ち Etymology
extortionate はラテン語 extorquere「ねじって外へ取り出す」に由来し、ex-「外へ」+ torquere「ねじる」に分けられる。torque や torture と同根で、相手を締め上げて無理に絞り出す感覚から「法外な」という含意が育った。
Extortionate comes from extortion, which goes back to Latin extorquere, meaning "to twist out." It combines ex- "out" with torquere "to twist," the same root seen in torque and torture. The idea is forcing something out of someone, and from that it came to describe demands or prices that are unreasonably high.
外部辞書で調べる
この単語を英単語クイズで覚えよう