To treat unfairly or betray someone; slang for being tricked or disadvantaged.
From shaft used as a verb meaning to harm or treat badly. The slang sense became popular in the 1970s-80s, likely influenced by the idea of being struck by a shaft.
Getting 'shafted' used to mean literally being struck with a shaft, but modern slang turned it into feeling betrayed—a perfect example of how violent metaphors soften into everyday complaints.
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