kidnap

[ kid-nap ]

verb (used with object)

kidnapped or kidnaped, kidnapping or kidnaping.

1. to steal, carry off, or abduct by force or fraud, especially for use as a hostage or to extract ransom.

   Synonyms: seize

kidnap

/ ˈkɪdnæp /

verb

1. tr to carry off and hold (a person), usually for ransom

Derived Forms

• ˈkidnapping, noun
• ˈkidnapper, noun

Other Words From

• kidnap·pee kidnap·ee noun
• kidnap·per kidnap·er noun
• un·kidnaped adjective
• un·kidnapped adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of kidnap¹

1675–85; kid ¹ + nap, variant of nab

Word History and Origins

Origin of kidnap¹

C17: kid ¹+ obsolete nap to steal; see nab

Example Sentences

What those words describe is the kidnapping, imprisonment, and trafficking of human beings under cover of an executive order that is not a law, but the administrative whim of one man, Donald Trump.

From Salon

McConville was one of the 17 members of the Disappeared, who were kidnapped, killed, and secretly buried by the IRA during the decades-spanning Northern Ireland Conflict, more commonly known as the Troubles.

From Salon

A 2023 Chinese action film about a kidnapping in Thailand is thought to have contributed to a decline in tourism from China.

From Los Angeles Times

The final operation presented by the prosecution involved a plan to kidnap or kill a Russian dissident named Kirill Kachur, it said.

From BBC

"It is like having your child kidnapped and never knowing what happened to them."

From Salon

Related Words

• capture
• hijack
• seize
• snatch
• steal