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 of kidnap

• abduct

Examples of kidnap in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples on the Web

Sanon, 67, was indicted with several others, including four South Florida men who were convicted earlier this year on conspiracy charges stemming from the plot to kidnap and kill the president. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 20 Sep. 2026

Days after the Irving Police Department said a man tried to kidnap a woman at a local park, officers now say a suspect is in custody. — Matthew Ablon, CBS News, 20 Sep. 2026

Some thought he had been eaten by a tiger, but my dad was pretty sure he’d been kidnapped by the Chinese. — Taryn Simon, The New York Review of Books, 19 Sep. 2026

The report provides the most complete account to date of the attacks that gangs recently launched on the once peaceful farming community of Kenscoff near Port-au-Prince, with at least 164 people killed, more than 70 kidnapped and dozens missing. — ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026

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