kidnapkid‧nap /ˈkɪdnæp/ ●●○ verb (past tense and past participle kidnapped, present participle kidnapping also kidnaped, kidnaping American English) [transitive] 
Word Origin Examples
Police appealed for witnesses after a woman was kidnapped at gunpoint.—kidnapper noun [countable]: the hunt for the kidnapper—kidnapping (also kidnap) noun [countable, uncountable]: a series of kidnappings
Word OriginWORD ORIGINkidnap
Verb TableOrigin:
1600-1700 kid ‘child’ + nap ‘to take, seize’ (17-19 centuries)VERB TABLE
kidnap
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | kidnap |
| he, she, it | kidnaps | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | kidnapped |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have kidnapped |
| he, she, it | has kidnapped | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had kidnapped |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will kidnap |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have kidnapped |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am kidnapping |
| he, she, it | is kidnapping | |
| you, we, they | are kidnapping | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was kidnapping |
| you, we, they | were kidnapping | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been kidnapping |
| he, she, it | has been kidnapping | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been kidnapping |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be kidnapping |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been kidnapping |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
Thesaurus- He was kidnapped by vigilantes in El Centro, beaten and robbed, and then set on fire.
- Ten tourists were kidnapped by militants in a remote southern area.
- Terrorists have kidnapped a French officer and are demanding $400,000 from the French government.
- A spokesman for the parallel government said that the two men had been kidnapped.
- Everyone assumed that it was the kidnapped child, and the remains were hastily cremated.
- Hedayat Eslaminia was kidnapped from his Belmont apartment on July 30, 1984.
- If you can, kidnap him!
- The encounter ends with Robert incompetently kidnapping Celine.
- Then we get back to the taxi, and there you are waving your weaponry, and kidnapping us.
Longman Language Activatorto take someone away using force► take away
Collocations if soldiers, the police etc take someone away , they force that person to go with them: take somebody away: · The soldiers took my son away and I never saw him again.· Luis told me how he'd been picked up by military police in the middle of the night, and taken away for questioning.take away somebody: · At that time police would often take away suspected revolutionaries and throw them in jail with a trial.
► abduct to take someone away by force, especially a child or young person, often in order to kill them or sexually attack them - used especially in news reports: · The two high school girls were abducted at gunpoint on Tuesday.· Kurdish separatists have abducted a Japanese tourist and are demanding money for his safe return.abduct somebody from something: · Several young women had been abducted from their villages and forced to work as prostitutes.
► kidnap to take someone away by force and keep them as your prisoner, in order to make their family or their government give you money or other things you want: · Terrorists have kidnapped a French officer and are demanding $400,000 from the French government.· He was kidnapped by vigilantes in El Centro, beaten and robbed, and then set on fire.
► take somebody hostage to take someone and keep them as a prisoner, especially for political reasons, and threaten to kill them if their government does not do what you demand: · On January 6, six Italian nuns were taken hostage.· Guerrilla fighters seized the hospital yesterday, taking patients and staff hostage, although several dozen were later released.
WORD SETS► Crimeabet, verbaccusation, nounaccuse, verbaffray, nounarson, nounassault, nounassault and battery, nounbackhander, nounbattery, nounbigamy, nounblack market, nounblack marketeer, nounbreak-in, nounbreaking and entering, nouncaper, nouncapital, adjectivecarjacking, nouncat burglar, nouncontract, nouncosh, nouncounterfeit, adjectivecounterfeit, verbcover, nouncrack, verbcriminal, adjectivecriminal, nouncriminal law, nouncriminal record, nouncriminology, nouncrook, nounculpable, adjectiveculprit, noundefamation, noundefraud, verbdelinquency, noundelinquent, adjectivedelinquent, noundesperado, noundisorderly, adjectivedrug baron, noundrug runner, nounDUI, nounembezzle, verbexpropriate, verbextort, verbeyewitness, nounfelon, nounfelony, nounfence, nounfiddle, nounfiddle, verbfiddler, nounfilch, verbfinger, verbfire-raising, nounfirst offender, nounflash, verbflasher, nounforge, verbforger, nounforgery, nounfoul play, nounframe, verbframe-up, nounfratricide, nounfraud, nounfreebooter, noungang, noungang-bang, noungang rape, noungangster, nounGBH, noungenocide, noungetaway, noungodfather, noungrand larceny, noungrass, noungrievous bodily harm, nounheist, nounhijack, verbhijack, nounhijacking, nounhit, nounhit-and-run, adjectivehit man, nounincriminate, verbindecent assault, nounindecent exposure, nouninfanticide, nounjob, nounjoyriding, nounjuvenile delinquent, nounkidnap, verblarceny, nounlibel, nounlibel, verblibellous, adjectivelow life, nounmafioso, nounmalpractice, nounmanslaughter, nounmassacre, nounmassacre, verbmatricide, nounmisappropriate, verbmisconduct, nounmisdeed, nounmisdemeanour, nounmobster, nounmoll, nounmug, verbmugshot, nounmurder, nounmurder, verbmurderer, nounmurderess, nounmuscleman, nounnark, nounnefarious, adjectiveneighbourhood watch, nounnick, verbno-go area, nounoffence, nounoffend, verboffender, nounold lag, nounorganized crime, nounoutlaw, nounparricide, nounpatricide, nounpetty larceny, nounPhotofit, nounpiracy, nounplant, verbpoach, verbpoacher, nounpossession, nounprivateer, nounprotection, nounprowl, verbprowler, nounpublic nuisance, nounpull, verbpunk, nounpurloin, verbraid, nounram-raiding, nounrape, verbrape, nounrapist, nounravish, verbreceiver, nounreceiving, nounrecidivist, nounregicide, nounring, nounringleader, nounriotous, adjectiverob, verbrobber, nounrobbery, nounroll, verbrustler, nounscheme, nounscheme, verbshady, adjectiveshoplift, verbshoplifting, nounslander, nounsmuggle, verbsnout, nounspeeding, nounstabbing, nounstalking, nounstatutory offence, nounstatutory rape, nounsteal, verbstoolpigeon, nounsupergrass, nounsuspect, nounswag, nountheft, nounthief, nounthievish, adjectivetorch, verbtraffic, nountrafficker, nountriad, noununder-the-counter, adjectiveunderworld, nounundesirable, nounvagrancy, nounvandal, nounvandalism, nounvandalize, verbvice, nounvigilante, nounvillainy, nounviolate, verbviolation, nounwanted, adjective
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN► assault
to take someone somewhere illegally by force, often in order to get money for returning them → ransom: · Mrs Mandela was jailed for six years on kidnapping and assault charges but released on bail pending a yet-to-be-heard appeal.
► child· The same day, two men were accused of kidnapping five children and imprisoning them in a cave for two weeks.· Everyone assumed that it was the kidnapped child, and the remains were hastily cremated.· This custom ended suddenly when a witch took the opportunity to kidnap several of the children, who were never seen again.· He and his cloned cohorts kidnap children to steal their dreams, which turn into nightmares.· Though they were pardoned three years later by President Carlos Menem, they are again under house arrest charged with kidnapping children.· We thought they were going to try to kidnap one of our children.
► girl· He denied plotting to kidnap the girl.· Davis had just confessed to kidnapping and killing the girl.
► man· A spokesman for the parallel government said that the two men had been kidnapped.· The same day, two men were accused of kidnapping five children and imprisoning them in a cave for two weeks.
► murder· The charges against Abu Bakr and 113 of his followers included murder, kidnapping and the illegal possession of arms and ammunition.· It is hardly in the same league as murder or kidnapping.· The formula includes the obvious, such as murder, rape, kidnapping, and so on.· Davis also faces three other special circumstances in connection with the murder charge: kidnapping, burglary and robbery.· H., was charged with murder and kidnapping Tuesday morning.
► ransom· A number of foreign businessmen have been kidnapped and held for ransom in Manila.· Murder plots, for instance, and kidnapping schemes for giant ransoms.
► woman· One side kidnaps women over bungled drug deals, rapes other women, attacks shopkeepers and, occasionally, shoots the police.
VERB► accuse· The same day, two men were accused of kidnapping five children and imprisoning them in a cave for two weeks.· Officers arrested Celso Rodriguez, 31, and Rachel Mendoza, 38, accusing them of kidnapping and extortion.
► charge· Though they were pardoned three years later by President Carlos Menem, they are again under house arrest charged with kidnapping children.· Some are suspected but not yet charged with the kidnapping of high-tech executives, authorities said.· Brumley also could be charged with kidnapping, carjacking and gun violations.· H., was charged with murder and kidnapping Tuesday morning.· The agent was first charged with rape and kidnapping, according to Human Rights Watch.· Yuri Budanov has been charged with kidnapping and murdering Heda Kungayeva near the village of Tangi-Chu 11 months ago.
► kill· Yet this has been tried before: Hezbollah leaders have been killed and kidnapped and the guerrillas carried on.· Rolfe, of Broxbourne, denies threatening to kill and kidnapping Mrs Armsby, 45.
Police appealed for witnesses after a woman was kidnapped at gunpoint.—kidnapper noun [countable]: the hunt for the kidnapper—kidnapping (also kidnap) noun [countable, uncountable]: a series of kidnappings