The word "fleeced" is a past tense verb meaning to cheat or swindle someone, usually out of money. The spelling of "fleeced" is pronounced as /fliːst/ in IPA phonetic transcription. The word contains two vowel sounds, the first being a long "e" sound represented by the letter "ee" and the second being a short "i" sound represented by the letter "i". The consonants present in the word are "f", "l", "c", and "d". By understanding the IPA phonetic transcription, it becomes easier to pronounce words correctly.
Fleeced is a verb that refers to the act of cheating, defrauding, or swindling someone out of their money or possessions through deceit or trickery. It is often used in a figurative sense to describe situations where an individual or a group of people have been taken advantage of financially, resulting in significant loss.
This term originates from the image of a sheep being sheared of its wool, leaving it vulnerable and exposed. In a similar manner, when someone is "fleeced," they are left feeling robbed, stripped of their resources or assets.
To be "fleeced" commonly implies that the victim was deceived or manipulated into parting with their money or valuables. This can occur through various means, such as fraudulent schemes, deceptive practices, or misrepresentations. Individuals may be fleeced through Ponzi schemes, affinity fraud, investment scams, or other elaborate ruses designed to dupe unsuspecting victims.
Being "fleeced" often results in a sense of anger, betrayal, or embarrassment for the affected individuals. They may feel foolish for having been so easily taken advantage of and may face significant financial hardship as a result.
In summary, to be "fleeced" means to be cheated or defrauded out of one's money or possessions through deceitful means. It carries connotations of vulnerability, betrayal, and financial loss.
Furnished with a fleece; stripped by exactions.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "fleeced" comes from the noun "fleece", which originated from the Old French word "velours" meaning "velvet". In Middle English, "fleece" referred to the woolly coat of a sheep. The verb "to fleece" was first used in the 16th century, and it derived from the practice of removing the fleece or wool from a sheep, relating to shearing. Over time, the term gained a figurative meaning, to be deceived or cheated, as if someone was being stripped of their possessions like a sheep losing its fleece. Hence, "fleeced" came to signify being swindled or defrauded.