ransom
noun
the redemption of a prisoner or kidnapped person, of captured goods, etc., for a price.
ransom
1 American
[ran-suhm]
/ ˈræn səm /
noun
-
ransoms
plural
-
the redemption of a prisoner or kidnapped person, of captured goods, etc., for a price.
- Synonyms:
- release, liberation, deliverance
-
the sum or price paid or demanded.
-
a means of deliverance or rescue from punishment for sin, especially the payment of a redemptive fine.
verb (used with object)
-
ransoms,
present (3rd person singular)
-
ransomed,
past participle, past
-
ransoming
present participle
-
to redeem from captivity, bondage, detention, etc., by paying a demanded price.
-
to release or restore on receipt of a ransom.
-
to deliver or redeem from punishment for sin.
Ransom
2
American
[ran-suhm]
/ ˈræn səm /
noun
ransom
1
British
/ ˈrænsəm /
noun
-
the release of captured prisoners, property, etc, on payment of a stipulated price
-
the price demanded or stipulated for such a release
-
rescue or redemption of any kind
-
-
to keep (prisoners, property, etc) in confinement until payment for their release is made or received
-
to attempt to force (a person or persons) to comply with one's demands
-
-
a very large amount of money or valuables
verb
-
to pay a stipulated price and so obtain the release of (prisoners, property, etc)
-
to set free (prisoners, property, etc) upon receiving the payment demanded
-
to redeem; rescue
Christ ransomed men from sin
Ransom
2
British
/ ˈrænsəm /
noun
ransom
Idioms
Usage
What does ransom mean? A ransom is the money or goods demanded to be paid in exchange for the release of a captured or kidnapped person or piece of property. Ransom also commonly refers to the amount of money that the captor demands. It can also refer to such an exchange or the act of releasing a person or property for a price, as in The duke’s ransom depended on his wife gathering all the money demanded. Ransom can also be used as a verb meaning to get a person or property released by paying a price, as in I had to ransom my toy from the bully for $10. It can also mean to release a captive after receiving a ransom, as in Each prisoner was ransomed for $500. Less commonly, ransom can be used in a religious context to mean to redeem or deliver someone from punishment for sin, as Christians believe Jesus did. A person who holds someone in exchange for a ransom is called a ransomer. Ransomware is software that is illegally put on a computer and prevents users from accessing their data without paying a ransom. Example: The kidnapper demanded a hefty ransom before he released the princess to her father.
Synonym Usage
See redeem.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
ransomsimple
-
ransomssimple
-
have ransomedperfect
-
has ransomedperfect
-
am ransomingprogressive
-
are ransomingprogressive
-
is ransomingprogressive
-
have been ransomingperfect progressive
-
has been ransomingperfect progressive
Past
-
ransomedsimple
-
had ransomedperfect
-
was ransomingprogressive
-
were ransomingprogressive
-
had been ransomingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of ransom
First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English noun ranso(u)n, rançoun, from Old French rançon, reançon from Late Latin redēmptiōn- (stem of redēmptiō ) redemption; verb derivative of the noun
Explanation
If you’re ever kidnapped, you’d probably be worth millions in ransom. Ransom is the money demanded for the release of a captive. You’ve probably heard the phrase “held for ransom.” That means someone has been captured and is being held prisoner until a sum of money is delivered to the captors. Ransom can refer to the money paid, but it can also be a verb that describes paying for the release of someone being held. If you have to ransom your best friend, that means you’re paying his captors to release him.
Vocabulary lists containing ransom
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The district confirmed a ransom demand but refused to pay.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
It’s not a king’s ransom, but hey, it’s free money.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026
When one of Christopher’s cohorts is kidnapped and held for ransom, he and the former princess Anya Argen embark on a desperate quest to complete the kidnappers’ challenges and win their friend’s safety.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
When the UK institution refused to pay the ransom, the group published the files - containing the personal data of visitors, subscribers and staff - on the dark web.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
"He offers him back to me without ransom, provided I withdraw my levies from His Grace and vow to fight no more."
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
“The reason I wanted to sell is that I felt I was not the best person to carry the company into the 21st century,” said Ransom, who added he has no regrets about the deal.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 10, 2026
"Ransom is an obvious incentive for the group," explained Héni Nsaibia, Acled's West Africa senior analyst.
From BBC ● Mar. 1, 2026
“This is the worst of the five businesses managed-care companies participate in,” says John Ransom, an analyst at Raymond James.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 23, 2025
Raymond James analyst John Ransom wrote in September that Oscar executives had told him that it “sees limited utility in a one-year reprieve.”
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2025
A great football, track, and baseball star, Sam Ransom, traveled all the way from Minneapolis to sign up with the Eighth, and a track star, Binga Dismond, left his medical school studies to enlist.
From "A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919" by Claire Hartfield
It was definitely not cheap paying off these pirates, whether it was ransoms or tariffs.
From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026
Law enforcement advice around the world is not to pay cybercriminal ransoms as it fuels the industry and there is no guarantee hackers will actually delete stolen data.
From BBC ● Apr. 13, 2026
Details about the release of the 100 schoolchildren remain unclear, including whether it was secured through negotiation or by force, and whether any ransoms were paid.
From BBC ● Dec. 8, 2025
The payment of ransoms has been outlawed in an attempt to cut the supply of money to the criminal gangs, but it has had little effect.
From BBC ● Nov. 23, 2025
"Knights and lordlings, they take each other captive and pay ransoms, but they don't care if the likes of you yield or not."
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
King Richard was captured on his way back from the Middle East and ransomed for 150,000 silver marks—approximately three times the annual income of the English Crown.
From Barron's ● Mar. 19, 2026
“You get threatened and ransomed with a shutdown,” Mr. Massie said in an interview in late April describing the plan.
From New York Times ● Jun. 1, 2023
He was eventually freed, returned to Gambia, and ransomed fellow Muslims who were enslaved.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 18, 2021
Anticipating that the Abu Sayyaf may soon demand the German to be ransomed off, Tan appealed for people to follow the Philippine government’s no-ransom policy.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 6, 2016
I never distinguished myself again, and each defeat meant the loss of another charger arid another suit of jousting armor, which must needs he ransomed or replaced.
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
The Talmud, a set of commentaries on the Torah, specifically condones ransoming of hostages as a communal responsibility, and many ancient scholars considered being hostage a fate worse than death.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 4, 2023
Experts say the trend towards ransoming sensitive private information could affect companies not just operationally but through reputation damage.
From BBC ● Mar. 30, 2021
Beric also promises to reunite Arya with her mother and brother in Riverrun, albeit by ransoming her off.
From The Verge ● Apr. 25, 2019
Simone’s situation sounds dramatic enough to hold an episode of “Homeland” — in fact, the ransoming of Carrie Mathison’s top-secret computer files drove a plot point on the Showtime series last season.
From Fox News ● Oct. 12, 2018
Some of the poor creatures were already dead, some had escaped, or had passed to other owners, but Mr. Porter succeeded in ransoming the rest.
From Chatterbox, 1906 by J. Erskine (John Erskine) Clarke
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