hostage

/ˈhɒstɪdʒ/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈhɑːstɪdʒ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈhä-stij/ (ame, mw)

hostage — noun

  • hostagesingular
  • hostagesplural

1. a person whom someone takes by force and keeps as a prisoner, so that people or

1.名詞B2
釋義

a person whom someone takes by force and keeps as a prisoner, so that people or organizations who care about that person will do what the kidnapper demands

例句

The gang said they would release the hostages only after the government paid the ransom.

collocation: release a hostage / hold someone hostage

Thieves took three bank customers hostage and locked them in the vault.

pattern: take + person + hostage

同義詞
  • captive

    broader term; anyone held against their will, not necessarily as leverage for demands

  • prisoner

    person confined, especially after arrest or conviction; does not imply that demands must be met for release

  • pawn

    figurative; someone used by others as a tool in a larger situation, weaker and more metaphorical than 'hostage'

反義詞
  • captor

    the person or group holding the hostage

  • negotiator

    someone who works to free hostages through discussion, not force

文法句型

take + person + hostage

hold + person + hostage

be held/taken hostage

release a hostage

用法筆記

Commonly appears in the verb phrase structures 'take someone hostage' and 'hold someone hostage.' The passive forms ('was taken hostage,' 'were held hostage') are very frequent in news reporting. The plural form 'hostages' is used when referring to multiple captives.

常見錯誤

❌The kidnappers kept him as a prisoner for ransom.
✅The kidnappers kept him as a hostage for ransom.
💡A 'prisoner' is someone legally detained after arrest; a 'hostage' is held specifically to force others to meet demands.
❌The police took the robber hostage during the chase.
✅The robber took a bank clerk hostage during the chase.
💡The hostage-taker is the grammatical subject; you take someone else hostage, not yourself.