Meanings
plural highwaymen · alternative hi'way-man
- historicalA person, usually mounted on horseback, who robbed travelers on public roads.
I was a highwayman / Across the coach roads I did ride / With sword and pistol by my side.
1977, Jimmy Webb, Highwayman2 more examples
[…] here were no Gibers, Cenſurers, Backbiters, Pick-pockets, Highwaymen, Houſebreakers, Attorneys, Bawds, Buffoons, Gameſters, Politicians, Wits, ſplenetick tedious Talkers, Controvertiſts, Raviſhers, Murderers, Robbers, Virtuoſo's; […]
1726 October 28, [Jonathan Swift], “The Author’s Oeconomy and Happy Life among the Houyhnhnms. […]”, in Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. […] [Gulliver’s Travels], volume II, London: […] Benj[amin] Motte, […], →OCLC, part IV (A Voyage to the Houyhnhnms), page 301And the highwayman came riding— / Riding—riding— / The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn-door.
1906 August, Alfred Noyes, “The Highwayman”, in Poems, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., published October 1906, →OCLC, part 1, stanza I, page 45Synonyms: highpad, highwaywoman, road agent, scampsman, Saint Nicholas' clerk, Knight of Saint Nicholas, Saint Nicholas' clergyman
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA person, usually mounted on horseback, who robbed travelers on public roads.
Origin
Translations
Arabic قاطِعُ طَرِيق, قُطّاعُ ٱلطُّرُق
- قاطِعُ طَرِيق (qāṭiʕu ṭarīq)person who robbed travelers on roads
- قُطّاعُ ٱلطُّرُق (quṭṭāʕu ṭ-ṭuruq)person who robbed travelers on roads
Bengali ঠগী
- ঠগী (ṭhogi)person who robbed travelers on roads
Catalan bandoler, lladre de camí ral
- bandolerperson who robbed travelers on roads
- lladre de camí ralperson who robbed travelers on roads
Chinese Mandarin 攔路強盜 /拦路强盗
- 攔路強盜 /拦路强盗 (lánlù qiángdào)person who robbed travelers on roads
Czech loupežník, zbojník
- loupežníkperson who robbed travelers on roads
- zbojníkperson who robbed travelers on roads
Danish landevejsrøver
- landevejsrøverperson who robbed travelers on roads
Dutch struikrover
- struikroverperson who robbed travelers on roads
Estonian maanteeröövel, teeröövel
- maanteeröövelperson who robbed travelers on roads
- teeröövelperson who robbed travelers on roads
Finnish maantierosvo
- maantierosvoperson who robbed travelers on roads
French bandit de grand chemin, brigand
- bandit de grand cheminperson who robbed travelers on roads
- brigandperson who robbed travelers on roads
- malandrinperson who robbed travelers on roads
German Wegelagerer, Straßenräuber
- Wegelagererperson who robbed travelers on roads
- Straßenräuberperson who robbed travelers on roads
Greek ληστής
- ληστής (listís)person who robbed travelers on roads
Hungarian útonálló, betyár
- útonállóperson who robbed travelers on roads
- betyárperson who robbed travelers on roads
Icelandic vegaræningi, stigamaður
- vegaræningiperson who robbed travelers on roads
- stigamaðurperson who robbed travelers on roads
Irish gadaí bóthair
- gadaí bóthairperson who robbed travelers on roads
Italian ladrone, bandito
- ladroneperson who robbed travelers on roads
- banditoperson who robbed travelers on roads
- briganteperson who robbed travelers on roads
- masnadiereperson who robbed travelers on roads
- predoneperson who robbed travelers on roads
Korean 노상강도
- 노상강도 (nosanggangdo)person who robbed travelers on roads
Latin latro, latrunculus
- latroperson who robbed travelers on roads
- latrunculusperson who robbed travelers on roads
Norwegian Bokmål landeveisrøver, stratenrøver
- landeveisrøverperson who robbed travelers on roads
- stratenrøverperson who robbed travelers on roads
Polish rozbójnik, rozbójniczka
- rozbójnikperson who robbed travelers on roads
- rozbójniczkaperson who robbed travelers on roads
Portuguese salteador, pirata do asfalto
- salteadorperson who robbed travelers on roads
- pirata do asfaltoperson who robbed travelers on roads
Romanian tâlhar de drum mare, bandit
- tâlhar de drum mareperson who robbed travelers on roads
- banditperson who robbed travelers on roads
- hoț la drumul mareperson who robbed travelers on roads
Russian разбо́йник с большо́й дороги
- разбо́йник с большо́й дороги (razbójnik s bolʹšój dorogi)person who robbed travelers on roads
Spanish bandolero, salteador
- bandoleroperson who robbed travelers on roads
- salteadorperson who robbed travelers on roads
- tenedor de caminosperson who robbed travelers on roads
Swedish stråtrövare
- stråtrövareperson who robbed travelers on roads
Welsh lleidr pen ffordd, carn-lleidr
- lleidr pen fforddperson who robbed travelers on roads
- carn-lleidrperson who robbed travelers on roads
Cite this entry
highwayman. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/highwayman
“highwayman.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/highwayman. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “highwayman,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/highwayman.
Source: highwayman on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.