abduct

American  

[ab-duhkt] / æbˈdʌkt /

verb (used with object)

• abducts,
  present (3rd person singular)
• abducted,
  past participle,  past
• abducting
  present participle

1. to carry off or lead away (a person) illegally and in secret or by force, especially to kidnap.

2. Physiology. to move or draw away from the axis of the body or limb (opposed to adduct).

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abduct British  

/ æbˈdʌkt /

verb

1. to remove (a person) by force or cunning; kidnap

2. (of certain muscles) to pull (a leg, arm, etc) away from the median axis of the body Compare adduct

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• abductor
  noun
• unabducted
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• abducting
  present
• abducted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• abduct
  simple
• abducts
  simple
• have abducted
  perfect
• has abducted
  perfect
• am abducting
  progressive
• are abducting
  progressive
• is abducting
  progressive
• have been abducting
  perfect progressive
• has been abducting
  perfect progressive

Past

• abducted
  simple
• had abducted
  perfect
• was abducting
  progressive
• were abducting
  progressive
• had been abducting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will abduct
  simple
• will have abducted
  perfect
• will be abducting
  progressive
• will have been abducting
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of abduct

1825–35; < Latin abductus, past participle of abdūcere to abduce

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Compare meaning

How does abduct compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• abduct vs. adduct

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Explanation

To abduct someone is to commit the crime of kidnapping person and holding them for ransom. Being abducted is one of the worst things that can happen to you. Fortunately, it's very rare. To abduct is to kidnap — to take someone against their will and imprison them. After an abduction, the abductors (kidnappers) may send a ransom note, asking for money.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

abduct abducts abducted abducting

Chris Pine shows off his surprising fluency in Italian in this film about a pesky tween who convinces an aimless young woman to abduct her.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026

And hey, did you know that the word “raptor”—which is often used to describe birds of prey—comes from the Latin verb rapio, which means to plunder, rob, ravish, or abduct?

From Slate ● Feb. 21, 2026

Mark Christopher, 58, Matthew Martin, 47, Shiza Harper, 45, and Sean Harper, 38 - from Essex and east London - deny plotting to abduct Mr Brookes.

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2024

The first attempt to abduct Dot, for example, closely mirrors the sequence in the Coens’ “Fargo” where Jean Lundegaard has her morning routine disrupted by intruders, though Dot proves far more capable of defending herself.

From New York Times ● Dec. 5, 2023

I looked at the stars, wishing the sluggers would abduct me so that I didn’t have to make a choice.

From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson

She climbs on his back, whereupon the deceitful Zeus abducts her, bearing her westward across the waters toward Crete.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

Stree 2, a horror-comedy about a mysterious woman battling a monster who abducts free-thinking women, was the year's second-biggest hit, playing in cinemas for months.

From BBC ● Dec. 28, 2024

When the witch returns on that date and abducts Nevena — having rendered her mute in infancy — the young woman embarks on an astonishing, shape-shifting journey of death and discovery.

From New York Times ● Mar. 31, 2022

An Arab chieftain abducts a U.S. widow and her children; President Theodore Roosevelt sends the Marines.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 19, 2021

Instead of doing the one natural thing, Don Manuel abducts his sweetheart during the night, with her consent, and takes her to a garden in Messina.

From The Life and Works of Friedrich Schiller by Calvin Thomas

Using tribal power and rigorous detective work, a family of an army officer in Yemen tries to find out how he was abducted in broad daylight, and what happened to him afterward.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2026

Asheville police credit Flock with helping recover hundreds of stolen vehicles, find children abducted by relatives, and advance investigations, including after a July 4th-weekend shooting.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

Alex Batty, who disappeared for six years after being abducted by his mother as a child, has described feeling a renewed "sense of purpose" after finding work.

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026

The president's orders came after the kidnappers posted a video on social media of what they said were those abducted last week sitting in a forest.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

He’d think Ed lost my mind the way Grandpa had, or that Ed run away or been abducted or taken a nosedive off the cliffs.

From "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" by Ransom Riggs

The monk had appeared at a magistrate's hearing to support military intelligence officers accused of abducting Prageeth Eknaligoda, whose cartoons were critical of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa.

From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026

However security is handled, there will be no ICE officers surveying the crowd with facial-recognition software and abducting people for unstated reasons.

From Salon ● Jun. 11, 2026

We’ve all seen the appalling videos of masked agents ambushing and abducting these migrants in the halls of New York’s immigration court as they’re leaving a hearing.

From Slate ● Mar. 27, 2026

A Conservative MP is trying to overturn a government-backed plan to make abducting cats a criminal offence in England and Northern Ireland.

From BBC ● Feb. 27, 2024

Karpoi grain spirits—those horrible little piranha Cupids—were rushing through the tall grass abducting campers at random, pulling them away from the line.

From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan

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Related Words

• kidnap
• seize
• snatch

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