Difference between "I was ripped off" and "I was deceived"

Question

Hi,What's the difference between those 2?

Vorpar · Accepted Answer

Ripped off usually involves being cheated out of money or goods.

Deceived means being lied to.

Goodman · Answer

Hi,

A deception is a conspired scheme to create something appeared to be good but actually deceptive.

So to be deceived is when you are on the receiving end of the deception. Compared to “ripped off”,

“deceived usually is used on something of a bigger scale which may or may not be money related.

Case in point, many elders received phone calls in area that they were randomly chosen prize winners, but in order to find out what they have won, they have to send a quoted sum of money. Actually many could not refuse the temptation and did jsut that. They waited and waited. Of course, the senders never received any prize. In this case, they are deceived, as well as ripped off.

“Rip off” – is when you have been going to the same gas station for years and found out from the news that the gas station has been short-changing the customer 0.1 gallon for each 10 gallons, you have been ripped off.

A plumber charged you 2 hours for a toilet repair when he actually spent 1 hour, you are ripped off.

Anonymous · Answer

Thank you!

Marius Hancu · Answer

ripped off is more categorical and angry than deceited

MrPedantic · Answer

AnonymousHi,

What's the difference between those 2?

An additional difference:

"Ripped off" implies deliberate deceit on somebody's part, for (usually) pecuniary advantage. Thus in Goodman's example, the plumber has deliberately deceived the householder.

But while "deceived" often implies deliberate misrepresentation, it may also imply deception with no active party. For instance, I may be deceived by trends in the stock market, and make an unwise investment. No one deliberately deceived me; I was simply "deceived by appearances".

So "ripping off" always involves "deceit"; but "deceit" does not always involve "ripping off".

MrP

Clive · Answer

Hi,

As noted, 'ripped off' is not very comparable to 'deceived'. eg If Tom says to Mary 'I love you', but he doesn't, he is deceiving her but he is not ripping her off.

A closer term to 'ripped off' would be something like 'swindled'.

Please note also that 'ripped off' is informal slang.

Clive

Difference between "I was ripped off" and "I was deceived"

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