From kid + nap (“to nab; to grab”). Originally Thieves' cant, referring to the practice of stealing children and shipping them to colonies or plantations as laborers. First attested c. 1680.
Meanings
(countable, uncountable) The crime, or an instance, of kidnapping.
ja 誘拐 (an instance of kidnapping) · fr rapt (an instance of kidnapping) · bg похищение (an instance of kidnapping) · ca segrest (an instance of kidnapping) · cmn 綁架 /绑架 (an instance of kidnapping) · cs únos (an instance of kidnapping) · sv kidnappning (an instance of kidnapping) · pl uprowadzenie (an instance of kidnapping) · ko 납치 (an instance of kidnapping) · ru похище́ние (an instance of kidnapping) · pt sequestro (an instance of kidnapping) · io rapto (an instance of kidnapping) · tl dukot (an instance of kidnapping) · fi kidnappaus (an instance of kidnapping) · lv nolaupīt (an instance of kidnapping) · es rapto (an instance of kidnapping) · hi अपहरण (an instance of kidnapping) · fr kidnapping (an instance of kidnapping) · hu emberrablás (an instance of kidnapping) · ia sequestro (an instance of kidnapping) · he חטיפה (an instance of kidnapping) · sh otmica (an instance of kidnapping) · cmn 拐騙 /拐骗 (an instance of kidnapping) · it rapimento (an instance of kidnapping) · pl porwanie (an instance of kidnapping) · tl kidnap (an instance of kidnapping) · es secuestro (an instance of kidnapping) · ca rapte (an instance of kidnapping) · cmn 誘拐 /诱拐 (an instance of kidnapping) · id penculikan (an instance of kidnapping) · de Kinderraub (an instance of kidnapping) · it sequestro (an instance of kidnapping) · bg отвличане (an instance of kidnapping) · ga fuadach (an instance of kidnapping) · nl ontvoering (an instance of kidnapping) · de Entführung (an instance of kidnapping) · de Menschenraub (an instance of kidnapping) · fi sieppaus (an instance of kidnapping) · ja 拉致 (an instance of kidnapping) · vi sự bắt cóc (an instance of kidnapping) · cmn 綁票 /绑票 (an instance of kidnapping) · fr enlèvement (an instance of kidnapping)
From kid + nap (“to nab; to grab”). Originally Thieves' cant, referring to the practice of stealing children and shipping them to colonies or plantations as laborers. First attested c. 1680.
Meanings
(transitive) To seize or detain a person unlawfully and move or conceal them; sometimes for ransom.
Angrest, a soldier, was kidnapped from his tank at the Nahal Oz base when it was attacked by Hamas. 2025 March 7, ToI staff, JTA, “The next 24: These are the remaining hostages presumed alive in Gaza”, in The Times of Israel, archived from the original on 03 Aug 2025:
Hello, ladies! How’s the Big Apple?
Rotten, Jerry! Clover's been kidnapped!
Oh, dear! That's the second time this month! 2002 September 6, Michelle and Robert Lamoreaux, “Model Citizens”, in Totally Spies!, season 1, episode 9, spoken by Alexandra “Alex” (Jess Harnell as Jerry and Katie Leigh), Marathon Media, via Teletoon:
fr enlever (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · sc arpiài (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · fi kaapata (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · da kidnappe (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · ru сворова́ть (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · rup arãchescu (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · km ចាប់ជំរិត (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · hu embert rabol (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · nl ontvoeren (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · mk киднапи́ра (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · pl uprowadzić (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · et röövima (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · fi kidnapata (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · ko 채가다 (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · th ลักพาตัว (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · sh oteti (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · pt raptar (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · ta கடத்து (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · hy առեւանգել (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · cmn 綁架 /绑架 (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · sv kidnappa (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · id menculik (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · my ပြန်ပေးဆွဲ (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · ca raptar (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · rup arachiu (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · no kidnappe (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · tr kaçırmak (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · hi अपहरण करना (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · kw denladra (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · cmn 綁票 /绑票 (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · pl porywać (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · io kidnapar (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · uk ви́красти (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · yi אַוועקכאַפּן (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · vi bắt cóc (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · io raptar (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · mi tipua (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · hu elrabol (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · ru похища́ть (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · ia sequestrar (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · da bortføre (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · de entführen (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · ru похи́тить (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · eo forkapti (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · la raptō (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · cmn 拐帶 /拐带 (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · fi siepata (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · he חטף (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · ru ворова́ть (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · lv nolaupīšana (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · it sequestrare (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · bg похищавам (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · pl uprowadzać (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · is ræna (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · yue 標參 /标参 (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · ka მოტაცება (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · nl kidnappen (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · la rapiō (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · mt ħataf (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · lo ລັກພາຕົວ (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · ru укра́сть (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · ru выкра́дывать (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · it rapire (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · es raptar (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · be вы́красці (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · ko 납치하다 (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · ru вы́красть (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · acw اختطف (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · yo jímọ (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · ro răpi (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · ja 拉致る (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · mr अपहरण (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · yo jínigbé (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · mi mautāhae (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · fr ravir (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · ru красть (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · ja 攫う (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · grc ἀπάγω (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · ar اِخْتَطَفَ (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · az qaçırmaq (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · sw teka nyara (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · kix thōhlǖkhúa (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · ang forstelan (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · fa آدمربای کردن (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · ckb ڕفاندن (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · bg отвличам (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · ko 훔치다 (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · ca segrestar (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · yo jígbé (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · acw خَطَف (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · be выкрада́ць (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · sk uniesť (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · nrf enlever (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · bo ཇག་ཁྲིད་བྱས (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · el απάγω (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · fr kidnapper (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · uk викрада́ти (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · ga fuadaigh (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · pt sequestrar (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · cs unést (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · pl porwać (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · ja 誘拐する (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · es secuestrar (to seize and detain a person unlawfully) · mi tupua (to seize and detain a person unlawfully)