ransom

/ˈɹæn.səm/

name 5noun 3verb 3

Collocations

(noun.)

VERB + RANSOM

hold sb for/to, kidnap sb for

The rebels held the politician for ransom until the government agreed to their demands.

demand | pay

RANSOM + NOUN

demand, note | money, payment

PREP

for ~

The kidnappers demanded a million dollars for ransom before releasing the businessman.

Definitions

noun

Money paid for the freeing of a hostage.

They were held for two million dollars ransom.

They were held to ransom.

The release of a captive, or of captured property, by payment of a consideration.

prisoners hopeless of ransom

Till the fair slave be rendered to her sire; And ransom-free restored to his abode

A sum paid for the pardon of some great offence and the discharge of the offender; also, a fine paid in lieu of corporal punishment.

punished with imprisonment and ransom at the King's will

verb

To deliver, especially in context of sin or relevant penalties.

To pay a price to set someone free from captivity or punishment.

to ransom prisoners from an enemy

And gainſt the General we will lift our ſwords And either lanch his greedie thirſting throat, Or take him priſoner, and his chaine ſhall ſerue For Manackles, till he be ranſom’d home.

To exact a ransom (payment) in exchange for the freedom of.

Terrorists will continue to hold few detainees in undisclosed locations in order to ransom them for money or some other material profit, […]

name

A surname.

A place in the United States:

Thesaurus

Synonyms

verb — exchange or buy back for money

redeem

Antonyms

Idioms & Phrases

king's ransom

A very large sum of money.

"But to yonder pavilion . . . the moon is glimmering on the gilded ball which crowns its roof, and which is worth a king's ransom."

Example Bank

They were held for two million dollars ransom.

Wiktionary

They were held to ransom.

Wiktionary

Thy ransom paid, which man from death redeems.

Wiktionary

to ransom prisoners from an enemy

Wiktionary

And gainſt the General we will lift our ſwords And either lanch his greedie thirſting throat, Or take him priſoner, and his chaine ſhall ſerue For Manackles, till he be ranſom’d home.

Wiktionary

Terrorists will continue to hold few detainees in undisclosed locations in order to ransom them for money or some other material profit, […]

Wiktionary

Usage Notes

i Register

In some senses, ransom is marked as obsolete, UK, historical. Watch for register when choosing this word.

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