extortionate
UK[ɪkˈstɔːʃənət]US[ɪkˈstɔːrʃənət]
adj
(of a price, demand, etc.) much too high; exorbitant.
adj
using or involving extortion.
Morpheme Breakdown
ex
tort
ionate
ex
out of, thoroughly
tort
to twist
ionate
Etymology
the word 'extortionate' is built upon the latin verb 'torquere', meaning 'to twist'. the prefix 'ex-' intensifies this to the notion of twisting something out, which evolved into the legal and financial concept of 'extortion'—the act of obtaining something, especially money, through force or threats. the adjective-forming suffix '-ionate' was subsequently added to english 'extortion' to create 'extortionate', characterizing actions or prices as being of an extorting, and thus excessively high or oppressive, nature. this semantic journey from physical twisting to metaphorical coercion and finally to describing exorbitant cost illustrates a classic pattern of meaning abstraction.
Analysis
Structure: ex + tort + ionate
ex- (latin prefix, meaning 'out of, thoroughly'); tort (latin root, from 'torquere', meaning 'to twist'); -ionate (english suffix, a compound suffix combining -ion (noun-forming) and -ate (adjective-forming), used to form adjectives meaning 'characterized by').
Examples
the hotel charged extortionate prices for bottled water.
his extortionate demands left the small business in a difficult position.
the interest rates on the loan were deemed extortionate by the regulators.