What does frisked mean?
'Frisked' is the past tense and past participle of the verb 'frisk', whose dominant modern meaning is to run the hands quickly over someone's body or clothing in order to detect concealed weapons, drugs, or other contraband. Security personnel at airports, courts, and public events routinely frisk people, and the term is closely tied to policing — so much so that 'stop-and-frisk' became the name of a well-known American policing practice. Because it implies physical inspection by someone in authority, the word often carries connotations of scrutiny, suspicion, or invasion of privacy. An older, now uncommon sense describes animals moving playfully, as a lamb might frisk about a field. The word derives from the same root as 'fresh', reflecting notions of liveliness before settling into its modern search-related usage.
verb (past tense and past participle of 'frisk')Frisked is the past tense and past participle of the verb 'frisk', meaning to pass the hands quickly over someone's body or clothing in order to search for concealed weapons, drugs, or other hidden items.
- To have passed the hands rapidly over a person's body or clothing to check for concealed items such as weapons or contraband (past tense/past participle of 'frisk').
- (Less commonly, of an animal) to have moved about playfully and energetically, bounding or frolicking.
"The officers frisked each suspect before placing them in the patrol car."
"Security guards frisked everyone entering the concert venue."
"The customs officer frisked the traveller after the alarm went off at the checkpoint."
The playful word for a leaping lamb gave English one of its most familiar words for a police search — 'frisking' suspects only entered common use in America in the twentieth century.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of frisked
The underlying verb 'frisk' entered English in the early sixteenth century, borrowed via Old French 'frisque', with roots connected to Germanic words meaning fresh or lively — hence its original sense of playful, energetic movement. It is related to 'fresh' and shares origins with terms like Italian 'fresco'. The modern police meaning, referring to a quick pat-down search, developed much later, becoming established in American usage in the twentieth century alongside the stop-and-frisk practice.
Related word forms
How frisked is actually used
The verb is most strongly associated with law-enforcement and security contexts and carries connotations of authority, suspicion, or intrusion; the older animal sense of playful movement is now rare. In legal and journalistic writing, 'stop-and-frisk' refers to the associated policing practice.
Easily confused with frisked
'Risked' means exposed to danger or the possibility of loss, while 'frisked' means physically patted down in a search.