ransom

[ ran-suhm ]

/ ˈræn səm /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for ransom on Thesaurus.com

noun

the redemption of a prisoner or kidnapped person, of captured goods, etc., for a price.

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)

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.

OTHER WORDS FOR ransom

1 deliverance, liberation, release.

See synonyms for ransom on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

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

synonym study for ransom

4. See redeem.

OTHER WORDS FROM ransom

ran·som·er, nounun·ran·somed, adjective

Other definitions for ransom (2 of 2)

Ransom

[ ran-suhm ]

/ ˈræn səm /

noun

John Crowe

[kroh], /kroʊ/, 1888–1974, U.S. poet, critic, and teacher.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use ransom in a sentence

An organization that is able to rapidly restore or recreate its data is far better positioned to fend off demands for ransom.
The hacker ‘ceasefire’ with hospitals is over—and that should terrify us|jakemeth|December 9, 2020|Fortune
By targeting providers with attacks that scramble and lock up data until victims pay a ransom, hackers can demand thousands or millions of dollars and wreak havoc until they’re paid.
Hospitals fighting COVID face another challenge: Hackers|Verne Kopytoff|December 5, 2020|Fortune
A follow-up letter was strikingly like the ransom letter for the Beit paintings that would be sent a few weeks later.
‘The Woman Who Stole Vermeer’ revisits the strange tale of a British heiress who became a notorious art thief|Katharine Weber|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
It’s a type of malware that hackers use to restrict access to data or machines until they’re paid ransoms that can run into the tens of millions of dollars.
How officials are protecting the election from ransomware hackers|Bobbie Johnson|October 15, 2020|MIT Technology Review

Specifically, he could trigger the coffee maker to turn on the burner, dispense water, spin the bean grinder, and display a ransom message, all while beeping repeatedly.
This Week’s Awesome Tech Stories From Around the Web (Through October 3)|Singularity Hub Staff|October 3, 2020|Singularity Hub
The earl was killed in battle and Marshal captured, but he would later be ransomed by the queen herself.
England’s Greatest Knight Puts ‘Game of Thrones’ to Shame|William O’Connor|December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But further operations against Scotland were postponed till Hereford and the other prisoners of note could be ransomed home.
King Robert the Bruce|A. F. Murison
He had been ransomed by the sweat of no vulgar agony, by the blood of no earthly sacrifice.
English: Composition and Literature|W. F. (William Franklin) Webster
By the exertion of friends he was ransomed after a years captivity and made his way through Spain and France to England.
A short history of Rhode Island|George Washington Greene
Would you be grateful to one who had ransomed you from slavery under a bitter foe, or who brought you out of captivity?
Aids to Reflection|Samuel Taylor Coleridge
At length the captives were taken to the French, and after some trouble and delay, ransomed for six hundred livres.
The Indian: On the Battle-Field and in the Wigwam|John Frost

British Dictionary definitions for ransom (1 of 2)

ransom

/ (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

hold to ransom

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 king's ransom a very large amount of money or valuables

verb (tr)

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; rescueChrist ransomed men from sin

Derived forms of ransom

ransomer, noun

Word Origin for ransom

C14: from Old French ransoun, from Latin redemptiō a buying back, redemption

British Dictionary definitions for ransom (2 of 2)

Ransom

/ (ˈrænsəm) /

noun

John Crowe . 1888–1974, US poet and critic

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with ransom

ransom

see king's ransom.

ransom

OTHER WORDS FOR ransom

Origin of ransom

synonym study for ransom

OTHER WORDS FROM ransom

Other definitions for ransom (2 of 2)

Words related to ransom

How to use ransom in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ransom (1 of 2)

Derived forms of ransom

Word Origin for ransom

British Dictionary definitions for ransom (2 of 2)

Other Idioms and Phrases with ransom