extortionate fee

[ɪkˈstɔːʃənət fiː]
noun phrasepl: extortionate fees
taxa extorsiva / taxa abusiva
1. An unreasonably high or excessive charge for a service or product; a fee that is considered excessively expensive and unfair
The lawyer charged an extortionate fee for the consultation, which shocked the client.
O advogado cobrou uma taxa extorsiva pela consulta, o que chocou o cliente.
2. A price or cost that appears designed to exploit or take advantage of consumers
The airport restaurants are known for charging extortionate fees for basic meals.
Os restaurantes do aeroporto são conhecidos por cobrar taxas abusivas por refeições básicas.
In Brazil, discussing 'taxas extorsivas' is common in consumer complaints and legal contexts. Americans frequently use 'extortionate' in British English contexts; in American English, 'exorbitant' or 'outrageous' are more common. The term reflects consumer frustration with unfair pricing practices, particularly in high-demand sectors like airlines, hospitals, and tourism.
NYC Slang
highway robbery / ripoff / gouging price
Synonyms / Sinônimos
excessive feeexorbitant chargeoutrageous priceinflated costunreasonable chargeexploitative fee
Antonyms / Antônimos
reasonable feefair pricemodest chargecompetitive rate

Regional Variations

General Brazilian Portuguese
taxa extorsiva / taxa abusiva / preço proibitivo
Most common and formal usage
São Paulo
taxa extorsiva / preço de roubo
Urban, colloquial expression 'preço de roubo' (theft price) is used informally
Rio de Janeiro
taxa absurda / cobrança abusiva
More emphatic and casual tone
Portugal
taxa extorsionária / preço escancarado
European Portuguese variant; 'escancarado' means blatant or shameless

Related Words

extortionoverchargeprice gougingexploitationprofiteeringusury

Related Idioms & Phrases

to charge someone an arm and a leg
daylight robbery
price gouging
charged through the nose
a king's ransom
Look up more words on Fala2Me
The free English-Portuguese dictionary with real Brazilian accents, NYC slang, conjugator and more
Open Fala2Me →