ransom

verb

ransomed; ransoming; ransoms

transitive verb

1

: to deliver especially from sin or its penalty

2

: to free from captivity or punishment by paying a price

ransomer noun

Synonyms of ransom

• save
• rescue
• redeem

Choose the Right Synonym for ransom

rescue, deliver, redeem, ransom, reclaim, save mean to set free from confinement or danger.

rescue implies freeing from imminent danger by prompt or vigorous action.

rescued the crew of a sinking ship

deliver implies release usually of a person from confinement, temptation, slavery, or suffering.

delivered his people from bondage

redeem implies releasing from bondage or penalties by giving what is demanded or necessary.

job training designed to redeem school dropouts from chronic unemployment

ransom specifically applies to buying out of captivity.

tried to ransom the kidnap victim

reclaim suggests a bringing back to a former state or condition of someone or something abandoned or debased.

reclaimed long-abandoned farms

save may replace any of the foregoing terms; it may further imply a preserving or maintaining for usefulness or continued existence.

an operation that saved my life

Examples of ransom in a Sentence

He was held captive for a week before he was ransomed and returned to his family.

the prince emptied the treasury to ransom his son from the kidnappers

Recent Examples on the Web

That posting also stated that TeamPCP is not holding GitHub to ransom but rather just looking to sell to a single buyer after which the data will be shredded. —Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026

Despite the hype, Kyber suggests that PQC is attracting the attention of less technically inclined attorneys and executives deciding how to respond to ransom demands. —Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 23 Apr. 2026

The Guthrie family has publicly responded to ransom notes with video messages, offering to pay for their mother's return home, but have not received a response. —Alana Wise, NPR, 6 Apr. 2026

After a nearby hospital is hacked and ransomed, the higher-ups decide to defend its system by shutting it down, which means business must be conducted in the old-fashioned, paper-and-clipboards way. —Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing ransom

• king's ransom

Rhymes for ransom

• handsome
• hansom
• transom

Kids Definition

ransom

1 of 2 noun

ran·​som ˈran(t)-səm 

1

: something paid or demanded for the freedom of a captured person

2

: the act of ransoming

ransom

2 of 2 verb

: to free from captivity or punishment by paying a price

ransomer noun

Legal Definition

ransom

1 of 2 noun

ran·​som

: a consideration paid or demanded for the release of someone or something from captivity see also kidnapping

ransom

2 of 2 transitive verb

: to free from captivity by paying a price