take hostage

verb

To take custody or possession of a person as security for performance against a treaty, a pledge, or a demand, especially now an extra-legal demand; to take as hostage.

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Meanings

verbtake hostage (third-person singular simple present takes hostage, present participle taking hostage, simple past took hostage, past participle taken hostage)

present singular third person takes hostage · participle present taking hostage · past took hostage · participle past taken hostage

  1. transitiveTo take custody or possession of a person as security for performance against a treaty, a pledge, or a demand, especially now an extra-legal demand; to take as hostage.

Translations

Dutch gijzelen
  • gijzelentake custody or possession of a person as security for performance against a treaty, a pledge, or a demand, especially now an extra-legal demand
Esperanto ostaĝigi
  • ostaĝigitake custody or possession of a person as security for performance against a treaty, a pledge, or a demand, especially now an extra-legal demand
Finnish ottaa panttivangiksi
  • ottaa panttivangiksitake custody or possession of a person as security for performance against a treaty, a pledge, or a demand, especially now an extra-legal demand
French prendre en otage
  • prendre en otagetake custody or possession of a person as security for performance against a treaty, a pledge, or a demand, especially now an extra-legal demand
German als Geisel nehmen
  • als Geisel nehmentake custody or possession of a person as security for performance against a treaty, a pledge, or a demand, especially now an extra-legal demand
Hungarian túszul ejt
  • túszul ejttake custody or possession of a person as security for performance against a treaty, a pledge, or a demand, especially now an extra-legal demand
Polish brać jako zakładnika, wziąć jako zakładnika
  • brać jako zakładnikatake custody or possession of a person as security for performance against a treaty, a pledge, or a demand, especially now an extra-legal demand
  • wziąć jako zakładnikatake custody or possession of a person as security for performance against a treaty, a pledge, or a demand, especially now an extra-legal demand
Romanian lua ostatic
  • lua ostatictake custody or possession of a person as security for performance against a treaty, a pledge, or a demand, especially now an extra-legal demand
Russian брать в зало́жники, взять в зало́жники
  • брать в зало́жники (bratʹ v zalóžniki)take custody or possession of a person as security for performance against a treaty, a pledge, or a demand, especially now an extra-legal demand
  • взять в зало́жники (vzjatʹ v zalóžniki)take custody or possession of a person as security for performance against a treaty, a pledge, or a demand, especially now an extra-legal demand
Cite this entry
APA

take hostage. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20hostage

MLA

“take hostage.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20hostage. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “take hostage,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20hostage.

Source: take hostage on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.