noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
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.
/ˌsæbəˈtɜː(ɹ)/
/ˌsæbəˈtʊə(ɹ)/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:S AE2 B AH0 T ER1
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A person who intentionally causes the destruction of property in order to hinder the efforts of their enemy.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: sabotageur
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
a member of a clandestine subversive organization who tries to help a potential invader
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: fifth columnist
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: traitor, treasonist
3
noun
Meaning 3
someone who commits sabotage or deliberately causes wrecks
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Etymology tree Middle French savate French sabot Proto-Italic *-āzi ▲ Latin -ereinflu. Latin -āre Old French -ier Middle French -er French -er French saboter French -eur French saboteurbor. English saboteur Borrowed from French saboteur.
Across languages
Translations
92 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Albanian:
sabotator
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Albanian:
diversant
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Arabic:
مُخَرِّب
(muḵarrib)
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Armenian:
դիվերսանտ
(diversant)
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Azerbaijani:
sabotajçı
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Azerbaijani:
diversant
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Belarusian:
сабата́жнік
(sabatážnik)
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Belarusian:
сабата́жніца
(sabatážnica)
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Belarusian:
дыверса́нт
(dyvjersánt)
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Belarusian:
дыверса́нтка
(dyvjersántka)
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Bulgarian:
саботьо́р
(sabotjór)
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Bulgarian:
саботьо́рка
(sabotjórka)
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Bulgarian:
диверса́нт
(diversánt)
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Bulgarian:
диверса́нтка
(diversántka)
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Catalan:
sabotejador
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Chinese Mandarin:
蓄意破壞者 /蓄意破坏者
(xùyì pòhuài zhě)
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Chinese Mandarin:
陰謀分子 /阴谋分子
(yīnmóu fēnzǐ)
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Chinese Mandarin:
陰謀破壞者 /阴谋破坏者
(yīnmóu pòhuài zhě)
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Czech:
sabotér
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Czech:
sabotérka
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Danish:
sabotør
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Dutch:
saboteur
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Esperanto:
sabotanto
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Esperanto:
sabotulo
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Estonian:
sabotöör
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Estonian:
saboteerija
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Estonian:
diversant
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Finnish:
sabotööri
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Finnish:
sabotoija
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
French:
saboteur
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
French:
saboteuse
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Galician:
sabotador
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Georgian:
მესაბოტაჟე
(mesaboṭaže)
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Georgian:
დივერსანტი
(diversanṭi)
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
German:
Saboteur
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
German:
Saboteurin
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Greek:
δολιοφθορέας
(doliofthoréas)
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Greek:
σαμποτέρ
(sampotér)
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Hebrew:
מְחַבֵּל
(m'khabél)
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Hungarian:
szabotőr
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Interlingua:
saboteur
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Italian:
sabotatore
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Italian:
sabotatrice
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Japanese:
サボタージ員
(sabotājiin)
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Japanese:
妨業員
(bōgyōin)
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Japanese:
妨害工作員
(bōgaikōsakuin)
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Japanese:
破壊者
(hakaisha)
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Korean:
파괴자
(pagoeja)
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Korean:
사보타주 하는 사람
(sabotaju haneun saram)
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Latvian:
sabotieris
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Latvian:
diversants
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Lithuanian:
sabotažininkas
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Lithuanian:
sabotuotojas
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Lithuanian:
diversantas
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Macedonian:
саботе́р
(sabotér)
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Macedonian:
саботе́рка
(sabotérka)
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Norwegian Bokmål:
sabotør
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Persian:
خرابکار
(xarâbkâr)
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Persian:
مخرب
(moxarreb)
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Polish:
sabotażysta
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Polish:
sabotażystka
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Polish:
dywersant
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Polish:
dywersantka
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Portuguese:
sabotador
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Romanian:
sabotor
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Romanian:
sabotoare
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Russian:
сабота́жник
(sabotážnik)
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Russian:
сабота́жница
(sabotážnica)
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Russian:
диверса́нт
(diversánt)
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Russian:
диверса́нтка
(diversántka)
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Russian:
вреди́тель
(vredítelʹ)
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Russian:
вреди́тельница
(vredítelʹnica)
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Serbo-Croatian:
сабо̀те̄р
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Serbo-Croatian:
сабо̀те̄рка
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Serbo-Croatian:
sabòtēr
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Serbo-Croatian:
sabòtērka
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Slovak:
sabotér
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Slovak:
sabotérka
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Slovene:
saboter
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Slovene:
saboterka
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Spanish:
saboteador
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Spanish:
saboteadora
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Swedish:
sabotör
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Thai:
ผู้ก่อวินาศกรรม
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Turkish:
sabotajcı
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Ukrainian:
сабота́жник
(sabotážnyk)
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Ukrainian:
сабота́жниця
(sabotážnycja)
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Ukrainian:
диверса́нт
(dyversánt)
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Ukrainian:
диверса́нтка
(dyversántka)
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Uzbek:
sabotajchi
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Uzbek:
diversant
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
Volapük:
sabotan
— a person who intentionally causes the destruction of property
