rack-rent Hear it!

rack-rent Definition

rack·-rent (rak′rent′)

noun

an excessively high rent; esp., a rent whose annual amount is equal, or almost equal, to the value of the property

Etymology: rack, + rent

transitive verb

to exact rack-rent from

rack-rent Usage Examples

Object

  • landlord: These were in decaying and over-crowded tenements without running water or adequate sanitation, buildings actually collapsing because of neglect from rack-renting landlords.