shanghai
verb
shang·hai ˈshaŋ-ˌhī 
shaŋ-ˈhī
shaŋ-ˈhī shanghaied; shanghaiing
transitive verb
1
a
: to put aboard a ship by force often with the help of liquor or a drug
b
: to put by force or threat of force into or as if into a place of detention
2
: to put by trickery into an undesirable position
shanghaier
shaŋ-ˈhī(-ə)r
noun ˈshaŋ-ˌhī-
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Some historians believe, as The Oregonian/OregonLive has reported, that the tunnels weren’t actually used to shanghai -- that is, abduct men and force them to join a ship’s crew. 
oregonlive, 26 Mar. 2020 The musical comedy is filled with zany pirates, zombie ships, mermaids and the plot revolves around a bumbling actor and his crew getting shanghaied by the terror of the high seas. Linda Mcintosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 July 2019 To shanghai your wife into a mental health intervention would be a mistake. Y Jeanne Phillips, San Francisco Chronicle, 5 Feb. 2018 That prompts the secretly protective Madea to shanghai Joe and the equally outrageous old-timers Hattie (Patrice Lovely) and Bam (Cassi Davis) for a trip to the lake to bring Tiffany back. Mike Scott, NOLA.com, 20 Oct. 2017 The ways in which our attention gets shanghaied by these companies makes us less good as citizens. Isaac Chotiner, Slate Magazine, 5 Oct. 2017 The idea of a summertime art festival has been shanghaied by the nonprofit Art Shanty Project. Bob Shaw, Twin Cities, 6 Jan. 2017 See More
oregonlive, 26 Mar. 2020 The musical comedy is filled with zany pirates, zombie ships, mermaids and the plot revolves around a bumbling actor and his crew getting shanghaied by the terror of the high seas. Linda Mcintosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 July 2019 To shanghai your wife into a mental health intervention would be a mistake. Y Jeanne Phillips, San Francisco Chronicle, 5 Feb. 2018 That prompts the secretly protective Madea to shanghai Joe and the equally outrageous old-timers Hattie (Patrice Lovely) and Bam (Cassi Davis) for a trip to the lake to bring Tiffany back. Mike Scott, NOLA.com, 20 Oct. 2017 The ways in which our attention gets shanghaied by these companies makes us less good as citizens. Isaac Chotiner, Slate Magazine, 5 Oct. 2017 The idea of a summertime art festival has been shanghaied by the nonprofit Art Shanty Project. Bob Shaw, Twin Cities, 6 Jan. 2017 See More Word History
Etymology
Shanghai, China; from the former use of this method to secure sailors for voyages to eastern Asia
First Known Use
1871, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Geographical Definition
Shanghai
geographical name
Shang·hai shaŋ-ˈhī
city and port on the Huangpu River near the estuary of the Chang (Yangtze) River in eastern China population 21,126,600
Note: Shanghai is China's most populous city.
shanghaiing 1 of 2
noun
as in impressment
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- impressment
- kidnapping
- hijacking
- seizure
- kidnaping
- highjacking
- abduction
- rape
- snatch
shanghaiing
2 of 2verb
1
as in waylaying
Synonyms & Similar Words
- waylaying
- kidnapping
- abducting
- capturing
- crimping
- seizing
- spiriting
- kidnaping
- hijacking
- impressing
- snatching
- stealing
- highjacking
- copping
- catching
- absconding (with)
- taking
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- rescuing
- ransoming
- delivering
- returning
- restoring
- redeeming
2
as in gulling
Synonyms & Similar Words
- gulling
- duping
- hoodwinking
- tricking
- deceiving
- engineering
- deluding
- hoaxing
- cozening
- bluffing
- fooling
- maneuvering
- plotting
- jockeying
- scheming
- finagling
- beguiling
- kidding
- machinating
- swindling
- snowing
- defrauding
- taking in
- manipulating
- devising
- exploiting
- fleecing
- intriguing
- conning
- masterminding
- contriving
- hustling
- chiseling
- finessing
- arranging
- cheating
- playing (upon)
- chiselling