kidnap

verb

kid·​nap ˈkid-ˌnap 

kidnapped also kidnaped ˈkid-ˌnapt  ; kidnapping also kidnaping

transitive verb

: to seize and detain or carry away by unlawful force or fraud and often with a demand for ransom

kidnappee noun

or kidnapee

ˌkid-ˌna-ˈpē 

kidnapper noun

or less commonly kidnaper

Synonyms

• abduct

Examples of kidnap in a Sentence

the child of the wealthy industrialist was kidnapped and held for ransom

Recent Examples on the Web

In the Season 1, Part 2 finale, Kimmie reunites with her younger sister, Sylvie, who was kidnapped by club manager Body (whom Kimmie later runs over in a motel parking lot). —Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025

She was kidnapped two months later by the group Kataib Hezbollah, an Iraqi militia linked to Iran, after leaving a cafe in Baghdad, according to her family. —Terry Collins, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2025

Police arrested a person suspected of kidnapping a man after luring him to a location with promises of a photography session. —Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 8 Sep. 2025

Two years earlier, his son had been kidnapped and held for ransom outside Denver by a group of men claiming to belong to Tren de Aragua. —Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

probably back-formation from kidnapper, from kid + obsolete napper thief

First Known Use

1682, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for kidnap

• bandgap
• bitmap
• blackcap
• blackstrap
• bootstrap
• burlap
• claptrap
• entrap
• foolscap
• kneecap
• madcap
• mayhap

Kids Definition

kidnap

verb

kid·​nap ˈkid-ˌnap 

kidnapped also kidnaped -ˌnapt  ; kidnapping also kidnaping

-ˌnap-iŋ

: to carry away a person by unlawful force or by fraud and against his or her will

kidnapper noun

also kidnaper

-ˌnap-ər

Legal Definition

kidnap

transitive verb

kid·​nap ˈkid-ˌnap 

kidnapped or kidnaped -ˌnapt  ; kidnapping or kidnaping

-ˌna-piŋ

: to seize and confine or carry away by force or fraud and often with a demand for ransom

kidnapper noun

or kidnaper

-ˌna-pər

Etymology

probably back-formation from kidnapper, from kid child + obsolete napper thief