What does robbed mean?
Robbed is the past tense and past participle of the verb rob. Its clearest meaning is to take someone's money or property by force, as in a report of criminals who robbed a bank. It also means to deprive someone of something valuable or deserved: a late train may leave passengers robbed of the opportunity to arrive on time. In another common sense, a person or business can be accused of robbing customers by charging excessive prices. These uses share an idea of loss or unfair deprivation, although the first normally involves theft and the other two may not. The word often has emotional force because robbery can be both physically threatening and profoundly unjust. It appears in vivid idioms such as "rob someone blind" and in expressions of indignation such as "I was robbed!"
To take money or property from a person or place by force, intimidation, or theft.
"The thief robbed the bank while the employees were locked inside."
The verb is also used figuratively for severe overcharging or for depriving someone of an opportunity or right.
Deprived of something valuable, deserved, or expected.
"After the error, he was robbed of the satisfaction of seeing his work published."
This use is normally followed by "of" and is often rhetorical or emotional.
Robbed can mean both having your property taken and being unfairly deprived of something valuable.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does robbed come from?
The word comes through Middle English from Old French rober, meaning "to take by force." Old French rober was borrowed from a Frankish Germanic word meaning "to seize." That Germanic root also underlies English words such as robber and robbery, as well as the historically related verb rub.
Related word forms
How robbed is actually used
The expression "I was robbed!" is informal and can be used humorously to mean that someone has paid an unfairly high price. The phrase "rob someone blind" is strongly idiomatic and means to steal a very large amount or take an excessive quantity of something.