name
Meaning 1
A surname.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
ransom
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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US: /ˈɹænsəm/
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/ˈɹæn.səm/
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Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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rhymes with -ænsəm
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CMU ARPABET: R AE1 N S AH0 M Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
name
Meaning 2
A place in the United States:
A village in Allen Township, LaSalle County, Illinois, named after Thomas E. G. Ransom.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 3
A place in the United States:
A minor city in Ness County, Kansas, also named after Thomas Ransom.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 4
A place in the United States:
An unincorporated community in Pike County, Kentucky.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 5
A place in the United States:
A township and unincorporated community therein, in Hillsdale County, Michigan, named after Epaphroditus Ransom.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 6
A place in the United States:
An unincorporated community and township in Nobles County, Minnesota.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 7
A place in the United States:
A township and village therein, in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, named after Samuel Ransom.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 8
Money paid for the freeing of a hostage.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable, usually
Examples
- They were held for two million dollars ransom.
- They were held to ransom.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 9
The release of a captive, or of captured property, by payment of a consideration.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable, usually
Examples
- prisoners hopeless of ransom
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 10
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.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, historical, uncountable, usually
Topics: law
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 11
To deliver, especially in context of sin or relevant penalties.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 12
To pay a price to set someone free from captivity or punishment.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- to ransom prisoners from an enemy
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 13
To exact a ransom (payment) in exchange for the freedom of.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 14
the act of freeing from captivity or punishment
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: recovery, retrieval
noun
Meaning 15
payment for the release of someone
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: payment, defrayal, defrayment
noun
Meaning 16
money demanded for the return of a captured person
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: ransom money
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: cost
verb
Meaning 17
exchange or buy back for money; under threat
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: redeem
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: exchange, change, interchange
History
Etymology
From the Middle English ransoun, from the Old French raençon, from stem of Latin redēmptiō. Entered English ca. the 13th century. Doublet of redemption.
Across languages
Translations
93 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Arabic: فِدْيَة (fidya) — money paid for the freeing of a hostage
- Armenian: փրկագին (pʻrkagin) — money paid for the freeing of a hostage
- Armenian: փրկանք (pʻrkankʻ) — money paid for the freeing of a hostage
- Belarusian: вы́куп (výkup) — money paid for the freeing of a hostage
- Bulgarian: откуп (otkup) — money paid for the freeing of a hostage
- Catalan: rescat — money paid for the freeing of a hostage
- Chinese Cantonese: 贖金 /赎金 (suk6 gam1) — money paid for the freeing of a hostage
- Chinese Mandarin: 贖金 /赎金 (shújīn) — money paid for the freeing of a hostage
- Czech: výkupné — money paid for the freeing of a hostage
- Danish: løsesum — money paid for the freeing of a hostage
- Dutch: losgeld — money paid for the freeing of a hostage
- Finnish: lunnaat — money paid for the freeing of a hostage
- Finnish: lunnasraha — money paid for the freeing of a hostage
- French: rançon — money paid for the freeing of a hostage
- Georgian: გამოსასყიდი (gamosasq̇idi) — money paid for the freeing of a hostage
- German: Lösegeld — money paid for the freeing of a hostage
- Gothic: 𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌰𐌱𐌰𐌿𐌷𐍄𐍃 (andabauhts) — money paid for the freeing of a hostage
- Greek: λύτρα (lýtra) — money paid for the freeing of a hostage
- Ancient Greek: λύτρα (lútra) — money paid for the freeing of a hostage
- Ancient Greek: ἄποινα (ápoina) — money paid for the freeing of a hostage
- Hebrew: כּוֹפֵר (kofer) — money paid for the freeing of a hostage
- Hindi: फिरौती (phirautī) — money paid for the freeing of a hostage
- Hindi: मुक्तिधन (muktidhan) — money paid for the freeing of a hostage
- Hungarian: váltságdíj — money paid for the freeing of a hostage
- Icelandic: lausnargjald — money paid for the freeing of a hostage
- Icelandic: lausnarfé — money paid for the freeing of a hostage
- Indonesian: tebusan — money paid for the freeing of a hostage
- Italian: riscatto — money paid for the freeing of a hostage
- Japanese: 身代金 (minoshirokin) — money paid for the freeing of a hostage
- Korean: 몸값 (momgap) — money paid for the freeing of a hostage
- Latin: pretium — money paid for the freeing of a hostage
- Lithuanian: išpirka — money paid for the freeing of a hostage
- Macedonian: откуп (otkup) — money paid for the freeing of a hostage
- Malay: tebusan — money paid for the freeing of a hostage
- Norwegian Bokmål: løsepenger — money paid for the freeing of a hostage
- Persian: فدیه (fedye) — money paid for the freeing of a hostage
- Polish: okup — money paid for the freeing of a hostage
- Portuguese: resgate — money paid for the freeing of a hostage
- Russian: вы́куп (výkup) — money paid for the freeing of a hostage
- Serbo-Croatian: откупнина — money paid for the freeing of a hostage
- Serbo-Croatian: otkupnina — money paid for the freeing of a hostage
- Slovak: výkup — money paid for the freeing of a hostage
- Slovak: výkupné — money paid for the freeing of a hostage
- Slovene: odkupnina — money paid for the freeing of a hostage
- Spanish: rescate — money paid for the freeing of a hostage
- Swahili: fidia — money paid for the freeing of a hostage
- Swedish: lösen — money paid for the freeing of a hostage
- Swedish: lösensumma — money paid for the freeing of a hostage
- Tagalog: pantubos — money paid for the freeing of a hostage
- Tagalog: panubos — money paid for the freeing of a hostage
- Thai: ไถ่ตัว — money paid for the freeing of a hostage
- Turkish: fidye — money paid for the freeing of a hostage
- Turkish: diyet — money paid for the freeing of a hostage
- Ukrainian: ви́куп (výkup) — money paid for the freeing of a hostage
- Welsh: pridwerth — money paid for the freeing of a hostage
- Arabic: اِفْتَدَى (iftadā) — to pay a price to set someone free
- Arabic: فَدَى (fadā) — to pay a price to set someone free
- Bulgarian: откупвам (otkupvam) — to pay a price to set someone free
- Catalan: redimir — to pay a price to set someone free
- Catalan: rescatar — to pay a price to set someone free
- Chinese Mandarin: 贖回 /赎回 (shúhuí) — to pay a price to set someone free
- Chinese Mandarin: 贖身 /赎身 (shúshēn) — to pay a price to set someone free
- Czech: vykoupit — to pay a price to set someone free
- Dutch: vrijkopen — to pay a price to set someone free
- Esperanto: elaĉeti — to pay a price to set someone free
- Finnish: maksaa lunnaat — to pay a price to set someone free
- French: rançonner — to pay a price to set someone free
- German: (mit Lösegeld) freikaufen — to pay a price to set someone free
- German: auslösen — to pay a price to set someone free
- German: loskaufen — to pay a price to set someone free
- Greek: λυτρώνω (lytróno) — to pay a price to set someone free
- Ancient Greek: λυτρόομαι (lutróomai) — to pay a price to set someone free
- Ancient Greek: λυτρόω (lutróō) — to pay a price to set someone free
- Hawaiian: kūʻai hoʻōla — to pay a price to set someone free
- Hebrew: לפדות (lifdot) — to pay a price to set someone free
- Hindi: फिरौती देना (phirautī denā) — to pay a price to set someone free
- Irish: fuascail — to pay a price to set someone free
- Latin: redimō — to pay a price to set someone free
- Malay: menebus — to pay a price to set someone free
- Polish: odkupywać — to pay a price to set someone free
- Polish: odkupić — to pay a price to set someone free
- Portuguese: pagar resgate — to pay a price to set someone free
- Russian: выкупа́ть (vykupátʹ) — to pay a price to set someone free
- Russian: вы́купить (výkupitʹ) — to pay a price to set someone free
- Serbo-Croatian: откупити — to pay a price to set someone free
- Serbo-Croatian: otkupiti — to pay a price to set someone free
- Spanish: rescatar — to pay a price to set someone free
- Spanish: pagar la extorsión por — to pay a price to set someone free
- Swahili: fidia — to pay a price to set someone free
- Welsh: pridwerthu — to pay a price to set someone free
- Bulgarian: плащам откуп (plaštam otkup) — to exact a ransom for, or a payment on
- German: auspressen — to exact a ransom for, or a payment on
- Ancient Greek: λυτρόω (lutróō) — to exact a ransom for, or a payment on
Real reading context