usurious
Excessively high-interest
Usurious describes lending practices that charge excessive or exploitative interest rates.
The word carries moral condemnation—usurious loans prey on desperate borrowers: usurious payday lenders, usurious credit card rates.
Historically, usury meant any interest on loans; now usurious implies rates that are unconscionably high or illegal.
Unreasonably high, as costs
- excessiveSurpassing reasonable bounds
- extortionateUnreasonably high in cost
- astronomicalRelating to outer space
- sky-highExtremely or excessively elevated
steep · inflated · prohibitive · outrageous · unconscionable · unreasonable · predatory · punitive
Illegal high-interest moneylender
- moneylenderOne providing loans
- pawnbrokerLender against personal property
- payday lenderHigh-interest short-term creditor
- shylockPredatory, extortionate lender
creditor · financier · debt trap · subprime · predatory lending · title loan · installment · collateral
Exploitative overpricing
- profiteeringExploiting scarcity for gain
- fleecingDefrauding for gain
- squeezingPressing inward firmly
- overchargingDemanding excessive payment
rip-off · highway robbery · daylight robbery · extortion · swindling · bleeding dry · taking advantage · victimization
Excessively grasping or greedy
- avariciousExcessively desirous of wealth
- graspingGreedy for wealth
- mercenarySoldier fighting for pay
- greedyExcessively wanting more
covetous · insatiable · acquisitive · money-grubbing · bloodsucking · parasitic · vulturine · predatory
exorbitant
Unreasonably high, as costs
- excessiveSurpassing reasonable bounds
- extortionateUnreasonably high in cost
- astronomicalRelating to outer space
sky-high · steep · inflated · prohibitive · outrageous · unconscionable · unreasonable · predatory · punitive · compounding
loan shark
Illegal high-interest moneylender
- moneylenderOne providing loans
- pawnbrokerLender against personal property
- payday lenderHigh-interest short-term creditor
shylock · creditor · financier · debt trap · subprime · predatory lending · title loan · installment · collateral · default
gouging
Exploitative overpricing
- profiteeringExploiting scarcity for gain
- fleecingDefrauding for gain
- squeezingPressing inward firmly
overcharging · rip-off · highway robbery · daylight robbery · extortion · swindling · bleeding dry · taking advantage · victimization · debt bondage
rapacious
Excessively grasping or greedy
- avariciousExcessively desirous of wealth
- graspingGreedy for wealth
- mercenarySoldier fighting for pay
greedy · covetous · insatiable · acquisitive · money-grubbing · bloodsucking · parasitic · vulturine · predatory · unscrupulous
usuriousinterest-free
No added cost for borrowing
reasonable · moderate · affordable · nominal · modest
usuriousgenerous
Willing to give freely
charitable · benevolent · unselfish · philanthropic · magnanimous