What does kidnapped mean?
“Kidnapped” is the past tense and past participle of “kidnap,” meaning to seize a person and hold them against their will, usually by force, threat, deception, or abduction. The word is used for acts ranging from kidnapping a child or prominent individual to abducting someone for ransom, coercion, or exploitation. It also appears regularly in news reports, legal proceedings, and fictional accounts of criminal activity. “Kidnap” often carries a stronger association with holding a victim or demanding a ransom than the broader word “abduct,” although the two can overlap in meaning. As a past-tense form, “kidnapped” normally describes the completed act: a person “was kidnapped,” while a witness or agency “kidnapped” someone. In British and American English, the spelling and pronunciation are the same.
verbTo abduct someone by force, deception, or threat and hold them against their will. The past tense and past participle of “kidnap.”
- To seize and hold a person against their will, typically by force, deception, or threat.
"The journalist was kidnapped while reporting on the conflict and released three days later."
"Two suspects were charged with kidnapping the businessman from his office."
"The novel imagines a city where children are kidnapped and sold to wealthy families."
“Kidnap” began in criminal slang: “kid” meant a child, while “nap” meant to steal—together, a grim invention for taking a person.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does kidnapped come from?
“Kidnap” was formed in the late eighteenth century from “kid,” meaning a child, and “nap,” a criminal slang term meaning to steal. The compound first referred specifically to the abduction of children and later developed into a general term for taking a person away against their will. The past form “kidnapped” follows the usual doubling of the final consonant before the suffix “-ed.”
Related word forms
How kidnapped is actually used
“Kidnap” is used in general, journalistic, and legal contexts. It is especially common for the illegal seizure of a person, but the related noun “kidnapping” is also widely used for the act or offence.
Easily confused with kidnapped
“Kidnap” usually emphasizes taking someone away against their will, especially to demand ransom or use them as a hostage, whereas “abduct” more broadly means to carry someone off by force.