gouging
Scooping out material
Gouging is digging or scooping out material, typically with a pointed tool or fingers: He gouged a hole in the wood, She nearly gouged his eyes out.
Extended to pricing, gouging means charging excessively, especially when customers have no alternative: price gouging during the hurricane.
The noun gouge is the tool or the groove it makes.
Exploiting scarcity for gain
- overchargingDemanding excessive payment
- exploitationSelfish use of others
- rip-offGrossly overpriced exchange
- markupAdded percentage for profit
extortion · usury · exorbitant · inflated · excessive · opportunistic · scalping · monopolistic
Making concave inside
- boringFailing to engage interest
- drillingHole-making by rotation
- coringRemoving central portion
- tunnelingDigging underground passages
scooping · ditching · trenching · digging · reaming · quarrying · mining · burrowing
Edged carving implement
- woodcarvingSculpting in timber
- whittlingKnife-carving wood into shapes
- inciseCut into material
- engraveCarve designs permanently
woodwork · relief · intaglio · sgraffito · woodcut · lino · stonecutting · sculpture
Molar action sometimes
- sandingFriction-smoothing a surface
- scrapingRubbing away material
- scoringEarning points in competition
- scratchingRaking with nails
scarring · rasping · filing · buffing · sandpaper · emery · grit · scour
Painfully intense light
- maimingInflicting disabling wounds
- attackAggressive act against another
- socketHollow receiving cavity
- grapplingClose-quarters combat technique
self-defense · thumb · orbital · injury · disfigurement
profiteering
Exploiting scarcity for gain
- overchargingDemanding excessive payment
- exploitationSelfish use of others
- rip-offGrossly overpriced exchange
markup · extortion · usury · exorbitant · inflated · excessive · opportunistic · scalping · monopolistic · greed
hollowing
Making concave inside
tunneling · scooping · ditching · trenching · digging · reaming · quarrying · mining · burrowing · channeling
chisel
Edged carving implement
- woodcarvingSculpting in timber
- whittlingKnife-carving wood into shapes
- inciseCut into material
engrave · woodwork · relief · intaglio · sgraffito · woodcut · lino · stonecutting · sculpture · bas-relief
grinding
Molar action sometimes
- sandingFriction-smoothing a surface
- scrapingRubbing away material
- scoringEarning points in competition
scratching · scarring · rasping · filing · buffing · sandpaper · emery · grit · scour · pumice
blinding
Painfully intense light
grappling · self-defense · thumb · orbital · injury · disfigurement
- scamsscam, scams, fraud, frauds, swindle
- woodworkingwoodworking, wood, saw, hammer, drill
- cuttingslicing, slice, chopping, dice, dicing
- price changesprice drop, price surge, price swing, markup, markdown
- attacksattack, assault, raid, strike, offensive
- earthworkdigging, excavation, excavating, trenching, shoveling
gougingfair pricing
Reasonable cost for goods
fair dealing · undercharging · subsidizing · discounting · discount
gougingfair dealing
Honest, equitable conduct principle
ethical business · good faith · square dealing · transparency · consumer protection
- price gougingExcessive pricing during crises
- eye gougingAttacking someone's vision organs
- rent gougingExcessive housing cost increases