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Synonyms

seized

American  
[seezd] / sizd /

adjective

  1. taken hold, possession, or control of, as by force or legal authority; confiscated, captured, or appropriated.

    Police say the seized property includes knives, computer equipment, a balaclava, and military clothing.

    Settlers were observed planting olive trees on illegally seized land.

  2. (of an opportunity) taken advantage of promptly.

    Everything that Mom and I had accomplished was rooted firmly in the soil of hard work and seized opportunities.

  3. (of moving parts) locked or jammed, as from excessive friction (often followed byup ).

    I gladly pay top dollar for lubricants and fluids, because I know it's far more expensive to have to rebuild a seized engine!

  4. having ceased to function; having come to a halt (often followed byup ).

    Businesses need to access credit lines to function, but now the credit market is totally seized up.

  5. fully understood; mentally grasped.

    People who need cognitive closure will absorb a statement early in the process of acquiring knowledge, "freeze" on that seized idea, and resist further information.

  6. (of melted chocolate) grainy and clumpy from overheating or from contact with a small amount of moisture.

    To reverse the reaction, add more liquid, but just enough to dissolve most of the sugar and cocoa particles in the seized chocolate clumps.

verb

  1. the simple past tense and past participle of seize.

Other Word Forms

  • unseized adjective

Etymology

Origin of seized

seize ( def. ) + -ed 2 ( def. )

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.

Apple has seized the top position for smartphone market share — something that’s never happened in the first quarter of the year.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 27, 2026

Maritime authorities are warning of an increased threat to ships off the coast of Somalia after a cargo ship became the latest vessel to be seized in a suspected act of piracy.

From BBC • Apr. 27, 2026

Exuberance seized the sector in 2023 and 2024, when the Federal Reserve raised interest rates.

From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026

Iran has not commented on Euphoria, but has said it seized the other two vessels - MSC Francesca and Epaminondas - both of which reported damage resulting from the attacks.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026

Japan had declared war on Germany in August 1914 and seized German possessions in the Pacific and China.

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.