lynch

L1Y4N1C3H4
/lɪnt͡ʃ/

verb

To execute (somebody) without a proper legal trial or procedure, especially by hanging and backed by a mob.

Similar
string up
OriginFrench de ← Old English hlinc →
CommonScrabble 13
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Meanings

lynch1

verblynch (third-person singular simple present lynches, present participle lynching, simple past and past participle lynched)

present singular third person lynches · participle present lynching · participle past lynched · past lynched

  1. transitiveTo execute (somebody) without a proper legal trial or procedure, especially by hanging and backed by a mob.

    Public anger erupted. Soldiers were lynched in the streets including young recruits proven to have been deceived by their generals about the true intentions of the attack.

    2018, “Europe's Flashpoints” (2:12 from the start), in Close Up — The Current Affairs Documentary, episode 2, (narration regarding the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt) (actor), via Deutsche Welle TV, av-44888523, archived from the original on 31 Jul 2018

    Synonyms: string up

  2. broadlycolloquialtransitiveTo castigate severely.

    I telephoned Bill Brandon in Oxford and begged him to get the new refrigeration unit into production before I got lynched.

    2024, Louis Hagen, Suddenly an Englishman

lynch2

nounlynch (plural lynches)

plural lynches

  1. alternativeAlternative form of linch.

Lynch3

proper nounLynch (countable and uncountable, plural Lynchs or Lynches)

plural Lynchs · plural Lynches

  1. countableuncountableA surname from Irish.
  2. A placename
    1. countableuncountableA home rule-class city in Harlan County, Kentucky.
    2. countableuncountableAn unincorporated community in Kent County, Maryland.
    3. countableuncountableA township and village therein, in Boyd County, Nebraska.
    4. countableuncountableA tributary of the North Fork Rivanna River, Virginia.
    5. countableuncountableA hamlet in Berkeley parish, Stroud district, Gloucestershire (OS grid ref ST6799).
    6. countableuncountableA hamlet in Overton parish, Basingstoke and Deane district, Hampshire (OS grid ref SU5049).
    7. countableuncountableA hamlet in Selworthy parish, Somerset, previously in Somerset West and Taunton district (OS grid ref SS9047; West Lynch and East Lynch also appear on OS maps).
    8. countableuncountableA minor river at Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, which joins the River Lea.

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo execute (somebody) without a proper legal trial or procedure, especially by hanging and backed by a mob.

Similar
string up
Also see
hang

Origin

lynch · verb

First attested 1835, from Lynch law, which appeared in 1811. There is a popular claim that it was named after William Lynch, but equally strong arguments would have it named after Charles Lynch. For the surname, see Lynch. Ultimately a possible doublet of linch.

Full word history & related roots →

Lynch · proper noun

  1. Old Englishhlinc“hill”
  2. Frenchde
  3. EnglishLynch

* As an Irish surname, from Ó Loingsigh (“descendant of Loingseach”), from long (“ship”). * Also as an Irish surname of Anglo-Norman origin, from De Línse, Gaelicized from Norman/French de Lench, from Lench in Worchestershire, from Old English hlinc (“hill”).

More words from French, Old English

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian линчувам
  • линчувам (linčuvam)execute without a proper legal trial — see also take the law into one's own hands, vigilantism
Catalan linxar
  • linxarexecute without a proper legal trial — see also take the law into one's own hands, vigilantism
Chinese Mandarin 執行私刑 /执行私刑
  • 執行私刑 /执行私刑 (zhíxíng sīxíng)execute without a proper legal trial — see also take the law into one's own hands, vigilantism
Czech lynčovat
  • lynčovatexecute without a proper legal trial — see also take the law into one's own hands, vigilantism
Danish lynche
  • lyncheexecute without a proper legal trial — see also take the law into one's own hands, vigilantism
Dutch lynchen
  • lynchenexecute without a proper legal trial — see also take the law into one's own hands, vigilantism
Esperanto linĉi
  • linĉiexecute without a proper legal trial — see also take the law into one's own hands, vigilantism
Estonian lintšima
  • lintšimaexecute without a proper legal trial — see also take the law into one's own hands, vigilantism
Finnish lynkata
  • lynkataexecute without a proper legal trial — see also take the law into one's own hands, vigilantism
French lyncher
  • lyncherexecute without a proper legal trial — see also take the law into one's own hands, vigilantism
German lynchen
  • lynchenexecute without a proper legal trial — see also take the law into one's own hands, vigilantism
Greek αυτοδικώ, λιντσάρω
  • αυτοδικώ (aftodikó)execute without a proper legal trial — see also take the law into one's own hands, vigilantism
  • λιντσάρω (lintsáro)execute without a proper legal trial — see also take the law into one's own hands, vigilantism
  • λυντσάρω (lyntsáro)execute without a proper legal trial — see also take the law into one's own hands, vigilantism
Hungarian meglincsel
  • meglincselexecute without a proper legal trial — see also take the law into one's own hands, vigilantism
Irish linseáil
  • linseáilexecute without a proper legal trial — see also take the law into one's own hands, vigilantism
Italian linciare
  • linciareexecute without a proper legal trial — see also take the law into one's own hands, vigilantism
Japanese リンチを加える, 私刑を加える
  • リンチを加える (rinchi-o kuwaeru)execute without a proper legal trial — see also take the law into one's own hands, vigilantism
  • 私刑を加える (shikei-o kuwaeru)execute without a proper legal trial — see also take the law into one's own hands, vigilantism
Lithuanian linčiúoti
  • linčiúotiexecute without a proper legal trial — see also take the law into one's own hands, vigilantism
Norwegian Bokmål lynsje
  • lynsjeexecute without a proper legal trial — see also take the law into one's own hands, vigilantism
Polish linczować, zlinczować
  • linczowaćexecute without a proper legal trial — see also take the law into one's own hands, vigilantism
  • zlinczowaćexecute without a proper legal trial — see also take the law into one's own hands, vigilantism
Portuguese linchar
  • lincharexecute without a proper legal trial — see also take the law into one's own hands, vigilantism
Russian линчева́ть, расправля́ться самосу́дом
  • линчева́ть (linčevátʹ)execute without a proper legal trial — see also take the law into one's own hands, vigilantism
  • расправля́ться самосу́дом (raspravljátʹsja samosúdom)execute without a proper legal trial — see also take the law into one's own hands, vigilantism
Spanish linchar
  • lincharexecute without a proper legal trial — see also take the law into one's own hands, vigilantism
Swedish lyncha
  • lynchaexecute without a proper legal trial — see also take the law into one's own hands, vigilantism
Thai ลงประชาทัณฑ์
  • ลงประชาทัณฑ์ (long-bprà-chaa-tan)execute without a proper legal trial — see also take the law into one's own hands, vigilantism
Turkish linç etmek, linçlemek
  • linç etmekexecute without a proper legal trial — see also take the law into one's own hands, vigilantism
  • linçlemekexecute without a proper legal trial — see also take the law into one's own hands, vigilantism
Vietnamese lin-sơ, linsơ
  • lin-sơexecute without a proper legal trial — see also take the law into one's own hands, vigilantism
  • linsơexecute without a proper legal trial — see also take the law into one's own hands, vigilantism
  • hành quyếtexecute without a proper legal trial — see also take the law into one's own hands, vigilantism
  • hành xácexecute without a proper legal trial — see also take the law into one's own hands, vigilantism

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with lynch

inchpinchfinchwinchclinchcinchflinchlinchbepinchsquinch
All rhymes →

Sounds the same

LynchLynchlynch
Cite this entry
APA

lynch. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lynch

MLA

“lynch.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lynch. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “lynch,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lynch.

Source: lynch on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.