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ransom
1[ ran-suhm ]
noun
- the redemption of a prisoner or kidnapped person, of captured goods, etc., for a price.
Synonyms: , ,
- 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.
Ransom
2[ ran-suhm ]
noun
- John Crowe [kroh], 1888–1974, U.S. poet, critic, and teacher.
Ransom
1/ ˈæԲə /
noun
- RansomJohn Crowe18881974MUSWRITING: poetWRITING: critic John Crowe . 1888–1974, US poet and critic
ransom
2/ ˈæԲə /
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 ransoma 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
Derived Forms
- ˈԲdz, noun
Other yvlog Forms
- sdz· noun
- ܲ·sdz adjective
yvlog History and Origins
Origin of ransom1
yvlog History and Origins
Origin of ransom1
Idioms and Phrases
see king's ransom .Synonym Study
Example Sentences
One of the best examples is ransomware, malicious software that prevents users from accessing their computer files, systems or networks unless they pay a ransom.
The Prime Minister has committed to improving rail services across the north of England, which he said had been "held to ransom by a Victorian-era transport system".
Some say they are being held to ransom over the fate of a small number of refuse collectors.
Armed groups here have in the past demanded ransoms for the release of people they hold.
Jihadist groups sustain their operations in the Sahel with a range of illicit economic activities, including kidnap for ransom and cattle rustling, according to the GTI report.
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About This yvlog
What doesransom 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.
Where doesransom come from?
The first records of the word ransom come from the 1100s. It ultimately comes from the Late Latin ŧپō, meaning “redemption.” The verb ransom is derived from the noun usage.
Ransom is used in the idiom king’s ransom, which means a large amount of money or valuables. As you might guess, a captured king could be ransomed for a large amount of money. In fact, the German emperor Henry VI ransomed King Richard “the Lionheart” I of England in 1193 for 150,000 German marks, a huge amount of money at that time.
Today, the word ransom is often used to refer to a price that someone is demanding to safely release their prisoner or captured property. Property can include data found in a computer system, such as a person’s bank account number, passwords, or government ID number. Software that allows data to be taken for ransom is called ransomware.
Did you know ... ?
What are some other forms related to ransom?
- ransomer (noun)
- unransomed (adjective)
What are some words that share a root or word element with ransom?
What are some words that often get used in discussing ransom?
How isransom used in real life?
Ransom is associated with kidnapping, hijacking, and data theft, but it can also be used in figurative ways.
On Tuesday at around 1:45 a.m. local time, in southern Niger, US citizen named Philipe Nathan Walton was kidnapped by 6 men with AK-47s on motorbikes, per media. The armed kidnappers called his father, who lives about a mile away, and demanded ransom, a local official said.
1/
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper)
Reports 29 Chinese fishermen kidnapped at sea by armed North Koreans, who are demanding ransom of $190,000
— Mark Willacy (@markwillacy)
Detailed medical histories and contact information of 80K+ patients in Ontario allegedly held for ransom after data breach at CarePartners healthcare provider (CBC News)
— Richard Lemon (@RichardLemon)
Try usingransom!
Is ransom used correctly in the following sentence?
The kidnappers ransomed the prisoners back to their families after receiving a large payment.
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.
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