highway robbery

noun

The act of robbing a traveler on a public road.

“They think they can charge $400 for a shirt? That's highway robbery.”

Similar
high padpaddingdaylight robberyprice gouging
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Meanings

nounhighway robbery (countable and uncountable, plural highway robberies)

plural highway robberies · alternative highway-robbery

  1. countablehistoricaluncountableliteralThe act of robbing a traveler on a public road.

    Synonyms: high pad, padding

  2. idiomaticuncountableusuallyExcessive or exorbitant prices.

    They think they can charge $400 for a shirt? That's highway robbery.

    Synonyms: daylight robbery, price gouging

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe act of robbing a traveler on a public road.

Similar
high padpadding

nounExcessive or exorbitant prices.

Similar
daylight robberyprice gouging
Also see
daylight robbery

Origin

Compare Old English weġrēaf (“highway robbery”, literally “road-theft”).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 攔路搶劫 /拦路抢劫, 路劫
  • 攔路搶劫 /拦路抢劫 (lánlù qiǎngjié)act of robbing on a public road
  • 路劫 (lùjié)act of robbing on a public road
  • 劫道 (jiédào)act of robbing on a public road
Finnish maantierosvous
  • maantierosvousact of robbing on a public road
French vol de grand chemin
  • vol de grand cheminact of robbing on a public road
German Straßenraub, Wegelagerei
  • Straßenraubact of robbing on a public road
  • Wegelagereiact of robbing on a public road
  • Straßenräubereiact of robbing on a public road
Korean 노상강도
  • 노상강도 (nosanggangdo)act of robbing on a public road
Polish rozbój na prostej drodze, rozbój na równej drodze
  • rozbój na prostej drodzeact of robbing on a public road
  • rozbój na równej drodzeact of robbing on a public road
Romanian tâlhărie la drumul mare, hoție la drumul mare
  • tâlhărie la drumul mareact of robbing on a public road
  • hoție la drumul mareact of robbing on a public road
Russian грабёж среди́ бела́ дня
  • грабёж среди́ бела́ дня (grabjóž sredí belá dnja)act of robbing on a public road
Tamil வழிப்பறி
  • வழிப்பறி (vaḻippaṟi)act of robbing on a public road
Cite this entry
APA

highway robbery. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/highway%20robbery

MLA

“highway robbery.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/highway%20robbery. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “highway robbery,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/highway%20robbery.

Source: highway robbery on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.