usurious

USAGE SUMMARY

The word 'usurious' is correct and usable in written English.
It is an adjective that describes something that involves or charges excessive or illegally high rates of interest on a loan or debt. It is often used in formal or legal contexts. Example: The usurious practices of the payday loan company were brought to light by consumer protection agencies.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Many borrowers were considered a credit risks and were charged high interest rates, which is why Mr Fico and his allies portray Mr Kiska as usurious.

The Economist

The law says that, in cases where usurious interest rates have been applied, the borrower need repay only the principal.

The Economist

Arturo Fontaine, a Chilean political analyst, argues that the left returned to power in his country this year partly because of public anger at market abuses, such as usurious store cards, an oligopoly of pharmacies and fraudulent practices by private universities.

The Economist

Once a web of mobsters whose most international activity was smuggling cigarettes, the Camorra eases uninspected Chinese goods into Europe and provides loans at usurious rates to the sweatshops that produce many of the elegant garments Italy sells abroad.

The Economist

But France refused to accept it until 1825, when Haiti agreed to pay a huge indemnity, financed with usurious loans from French banks.

The Economist

In much of the countryside, usurious moneylenders still hold sway.

The Economist

On November 18th, the country's highest court of appeal ruled that the fixed rate of interest attached to a bank mortgage contracted in 1993 was usurious according to legislation enacted in March 1996.

The Economist

Private finance, some of it from underworld sources, is secured at usurious rates of between 24% and 36%.

The Economist

To Mr Yunus and its other critics, the Mexican bank is no better than an old-fashioned loan shark, earning its huge profits by charging poor borrowers a usurious interest rate of at least 79% a year.

The Economist

The penalties for breaking the law include six years in jail and fines of up to 30m lire ($13,000).Interest rates are deemed to be usurious when they are more than 50% higher than the average over the previous three months.

The Economist

Driven into the grip of usurious money-lenders, more than 700 had killed themselves in the year before the elections.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing financial practices, use "usurious" to specifically denote interest rates that are illegally or unethically high, rather than simply 'high' or 'expensive'.

Common error

Avoid using "usurious" interchangeably with "expensive". "Usurious" implies an illegal or unethical level of interest, whereas "expensive" simply means costing a lot. Always verify the context involves unfair or illegal lending practices.

Linguistic Context

The adjective "usurious" functions to describe a noun, typically interest rates, loans, or financial practices, as involving excessively high and often illegal rates. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, this term carries a strong connotation of exploitation and unfairness.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

72%

Encyclopedias

15%

Formal & Business

5%

Less common in

Science

3%

Wiki

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "usurious" is an adjective used to describe excessively high and often illegal interest rates or financial practices. According to Ludwig AI, the word is used to describe something that involves or charges excessive or illegally high rates of interest on a loan or debt. It is used correctly across various contexts, particularly in news, encyclopedias, and formal business settings, and it carries a strong negative connotation, highlighting exploitation and unfairness. As demonstrated in Ludwig's examples, while "usurious" is similar to "expensive", the former has stronger implications of illegality or unethical behavior. Therefore, it's important to use "usurious" when you want to emphasize the exploitative nature of financial arrangements.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

exorbitant interest rates

Focuses specifically on the interest rates being excessively high.

excessive interest

Highlights the unreasonable amount of interest charged.

extortionate rates

Emphasizes the exploitative nature of the high rates.

unconscionable interest

Stresses the moral reprehensibility of the interest rate.

unjustifiably high interest

Suggests the interest is not reasonably justified.

predatory lending rates

Highlights the exploitative nature of lending practices.

exploitative interest charges

Focuses on the exploitative financial practices.

rip-off interest rates

Uses informal language to describe the unfair rates.

sky-high interest rates

Emphasizes the extreme height of the rates.

exorbitant finance charges

Highlights the excessive nature of the finance charges.

FAQs

How to use "usurious" in a sentence?

Use "usurious" to describe interest rates or lending practices that are excessively high and often illegal. For example: "The lender was accused of charging "usurious" interest rates to vulnerable borrowers."

What is a synonym for "usurious"?

Synonyms for "usurious" include "exorbitant interest rates", "extortionate rates", and "unconscionable interest". These terms all refer to excessively high and unfair charges.

What are examples of "usurious" financial practices?

"Usurious" financial practices include payday loans with extremely high annual percentage rates (APRs), loan sharking, and any lending activity where the interest rate far exceeds legal limits.

What is the difference between "high interest" and "usurious interest"?

"High interest" simply means the interest rate is above average. "Usurious interest" means the interest rate is illegally or unethically high, often exploiting borrowers.