ransom
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Also seen as: ransoms · ransoming · ransomed
Sense 1
Money paid for the freeing of a hostage.
Noun
Examples
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).
Sense 2
The release of a captive, or of captured property, by payment of a consideration.
Sự giải thoát của tù nhân hoặc tài sản bị bắt cóc bằng việc trả tiền
Machine-translated — suggest a fix
Noun
Examples
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).
Sense 3
To pay a price to set someone free from captivity or punishment.
trả tiền để giải thoát ai đó khỏi bị giam giữ hoặc trừng phạt
Machine-translated — suggest a fix
Verb
Examples
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).
Sense 4
To exact a ransom (payment) in exchange for the freedom of.
Verb
Examples
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “ransom” mean?
Money paid for the freeing of a hostage.
Is “ransom” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.