take hostage

take hostage — idiom

1. to seize and hold a person against their will so that a third party — such as a

1.慣用語B2
釋義

to seize and hold a person against their will so that a third party — such as a government, family, or organisation — is forced to meet your demands in exchange for the captive's release.

例句

Armed men took the hotel guests hostage and demanded a helicopter for their escape.

take + noun phrase + hostage; active voice

The rebels took the mayor hostage during the attack on the town hall.

同義詞
  • kidnap

    broader term that does not always involve using the captive as leverage

  • capture

    general; does not imply the person is used as leverage against a third party

  • seize

    more formal; can apply to things or people, not specific to hostage situations

反義詞
  • release

    to set the captive free

  • free

    to rescue or liberate the hostage

文法句型

take + noun phrase + hostage

be taken hostage (by + agent)

用法筆記

Frequently used in the passive voice (be taken hostage). The person held captive is the direct object, placed between 'take' and 'hostage'. The agent (the person or group doing the capturing) can follow 'by' in passive constructions.

常見錯誤

❌They took hostage the manager.
✅They took the manager hostage.
💡The captive goes between 'take' and 'hostage'.
❌They took him as a hostage.
✅They took him hostage.
💡No article or preposition is needed before 'hostage' in this fixed expression.