1SCan amount of money that is paid to free someone who is held as a prisoner 〔为使被囚者获释而支付的〕赎金
The kidnappers were demanding a ransom of $250,000.
绑匪索取25万美元的赎金。
The government refused to pay the ransom.
政府拒绝交付赎金。
ransom demand/note
There has still been no ransom demand.
现在还没有人索要赎金。
He’s got the ransom money.
他得到了赎金。
2hold somebody for ransom (also hold somebody to ransomBritish EnglishBrE) to keep someone prisoner until money is paid 囚禁某人以索取赎金
His daughter was kidnapped and held for ransom.
他的女儿遭绑架索要赎金。
3hold somebody to ransomBritish EnglishBrE to put someone in a situation where they have no choice and are forced to agree to your demands 要挟某人,胁迫某人
He has accused the nurses of holding the government to ransom by threatening to strike.
他指责护士以罢工来要挟政府。
Examples from the Corpus
hold somebody to ransom• The president said that the company would not be held to ransom by strikes.• What's outrageous is that one powerful and greedybully, followed by its lackeys, can hold the world to ransom.• Without some such law the rich could hold the poor to ransom.• They could buy out nationaldebts, hold governments to ransom, close down whole economies if they wanted to.• By his behaviour Yeltsin has held Clinton to ransom.• The idea of one global power holding the other to ransom seems less credible now than it has done previously.• The countries that control it will be able to hold their clients to ransom.• It attacks the foundations of a freesociety, encouraging those with industrial or commercialmuscle to hold others to ransom.• What gives cheaperfuelcampaigners the right to hold the country to ransom?
demanding ... ransom• Note from Heron's Liberation Front demanding ransom for return of Gnome.• We are used to evil men demanding a ransom before their victim can be released.
SCto pay an amount of money so that someone who is being held as a prisoner is set free 为…交付赎金
They were all ransomed and returned unharmed.
付了赎金之后,他们都毫发无损地回来了。
Examples from the Corpus
ransom• They were all ransomed and returned unharmed.• North, carefully distracting Livingstone from the thought that hostages might have been ransomed for arms, gave him the WholePicture.• We know that many among ourselves have given themselves to bondage that they might ransom others.
Originransom1
(1200-1300)Old Frenchrançon, from Latinredemptio; → REDEMPTION