ransom1 nounransom2 verb
ransomran‧som1 /ˈrænsəm/ noun [countable] 
WORD ORIGINransom1
Origin:
1200-1300 Old French rançon, from Latin redemptio; ➔ REDEMPTIONEXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS
- After the families of the two men were contacted, the ransom was upped to $ 1 million.
- But dead men paid no ransoms.
- But sometimes I want to be pampered like royalty - without having to pay a king's ransom.
- I read the appeal in the newspapers for Madame V to come forward, but they said nothing about abduction or ransom.
- It wouldn't matter if you'd been promised a king's ransom if you achieved a lucky jump to the scorpion.
- Maybe the scarred man had suspected something and wanted a cut of the ransom.
- Note from Heron's Liberation Front demanding ransom for return of Gnome.
Longman Language Activatorto threaten someone
to tell someone that you will hurt them or cause serious problems for them if they do not do what you want: · Then he started threatening me and saying that my family might get hurt.threaten to do something: · When they found out he was an American, the soldiers threatened to kill him.· Every time we have a quarrel, she threatens to leave me.threaten somebody with a knife/gun etc: · After threatening the manager with a knife, he stole £300 and ran off.threaten somebody with violence/jail/legal action etc (=say you will hurt someone, put them in prison etc): · I was threatened with jail if I published the story.
to try to make someone do what you want by making them feel afraid: · He's being kept in jail until the trial so that he can't intimidate any of the witnesses.· The boss is quite tough, but don't let him intimidate you.intimidate somebody into doing something: · Some workers are saying that they were intimidated into accepting the pay cuts, with threats of job losses.
to try to make someone stay away from somewhere or stop doing something by warning or threatening them: · Journalists trying to investigate the scandal were warned off by the FBI.warn somebody off something: · The old man warned them off his land.warn somebody off doing something: · Joanna's brothers had warned him off seeing her again.
British to force a group, organization, or government to give you what you want by threatening to cause political or financial difficulties if they do not: · What gives cheaper fuel campaigners the right to hold the country to ransom?· The president said that the company would not be held to ransom by strikes.
to repeatedly threaten to harm someone: · He wanted more money and over the next few weeks made further threats.make/issue threats about: · It's a waste of time issuing vague threats about imposing sanctions -- we should send in the army.make/issue threats against: · Threats have been made against the judge who is investigating the case.
informal to threaten witnesses, judges, or other people involved in a court case in order to influence the court's decision: · The trial had to be abandoned when it was discovered that jury members had been got at by the Mafia.· He didn't like the idea that he had been nobbled, especially by a woman.· When the police questioned Davis, it was clear someone else had gotten to him first.
formal achieved by using unfair threats to force someone to admit something or give something to someone: · The confession had been obtained under duress, and therefore could not be allowed as evidence.· In her defence, the accused said that she had been acting under duress when she took the money.
WORD SETSalarmed, adjectiveallegation, nounamnesty, nounbail, nounbreath test, nouncharge sheet, nouncircumstantial, adjectivecompensation, nouncompensatory, adjectivecomplicity, nouncondemned, adjectivecondemned cell, nounconfess, verbconfession, nounconman, nouncontraband, nouncuff, verbdebug, verbdetain, verbdick, nounenforce, verbfed, nounFederal Bureau of Investigation, nounflogging, nounforensic, adjectivegallows, noungaolbird, noungas chamber, noungibbet, nounguillotine, nounhang, verbhanging, nounhard labour, nounimpeach, verbKC, nounlaunder, verblawsuit, nounleg irons, nounlicensed, adjectivelicensing laws, nounlife, nounlife sentence, nounline-up, nounlynch, verblynch mob, nounpenalty point, nounpenology, nounpolygraph, nounposse, nounprisoner, nounracket, nounracketeer, nounracketeering, nounrake-off, nounransom, nounransom, verbreport, verbreprieve, nounriot, nounshop, verbsilk, nounspeed trap, nounstalker, nounstrip search, nountransport, verbtransportation, nountribunal, nounundercover, adjectivevictim, nounwrongdoing, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY
The kidnappers were demanding a ransom of $250,000. The government refused to pay the ransom. There has still been no ransom demand. He’s got the ransom money.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN
The kidnappers were demanding a ransom of $250,000. The government refused to pay the ransom. There has still been no ransom demand. He’s got the ransom money.· His wife spent all their savings on paying ransom demands.· What sort of kidnapping was this, with no ransom demand and no parents?· Newley might have told Tolby about the ransom demand.· I made the ransom demands, it said.· There has been no ransom demand.· The ransom demand was a deeper secret; only a few members of the police force knew of that.· They are all about kidnapping and about ransom demands.· The double Derby-winner is believed to have been killed after ransom demands were issued.
· Was the package or packet of ransom money bugged?· Archbishop Prospero Penados del Barrio has charged that some political parties have financed their activities with ransom money.
· Police sources revealed earlier that the three-page ransom note had been handwritten on paper from a legal pad found in the home.· What kind of kidnapper would sit down and write a three-page ransom note demanding a paltry $ 118, 000?
VERB· After all, only the Government has the money with which to pay a ransom.· Reagan clung to the belief that he was not paying ransom but merely rewarding an intermediary for services rendered.· His wife spent all their savings on paying ransom demands.· He looked like a son of kings, one whose parents could pay a great ransom.· Officials often complained that the victim of cattle theft preferred paying the ransom to instituting a court case.· But sometimes I want to be pampered like royalty - without having to pay a king's ransom.· Because Noddy won't pay the ransom.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► hold somebody for ransom
1an amount of money that is paid to free someone who is held as a prisoner: - The president said that the company would not be held to ransom by strikes.
- What gives cheaper fuel campaigners the right to hold the country to ransom?
- By his behaviour Yeltsin has held Clinton to ransom.
- It attacks the foundations of a free society, encouraging those with industrial or commercial muscle to hold others to ransom.
- The countries that control it will be able to hold their clients to ransom.
- The idea of one global power holding the other to ransom seems less credible now than it has done previously.
- They could buy out national debts, hold governments to ransom, close down whole economies if they wanted to.
- What's outrageous is that one powerful and greedy bully, followed by its lackeys, can hold the world to ransom.
- Without some such law the rich could hold the poor to ransom.
The kidnappers were demanding a ransom of $250,000. The government refused to pay the ransom.ransom demand/note There has still been no ransom demand. He’s got the ransom money.2hold somebody for ransom (also hold somebody to ransom British English) to keep someone prisoner until money is paid: His daughter was kidnapped and held for ransom.3hold somebody to ransom British English to put someone in a situation where they have no choice and are forced to agree to your demands: He has accused the nurses of holding the government to ransom by threatening to strike.ransom1 nounransom2 verb
ransomransom2 verb [transitive] to pay an amount of money so that someone who is being held as a prisoner is set free: They were all ransomed and returned unharmed.