ransack
To search thoroughly, especially when vigorous and leaving behind a state of disarrayTo search (a place, through things, etc.) thoroughly, especially when vigorous and leaving behind a state of disarray.
» Some kids broke into Tom's house and ransacked it.
Якісь хлопці вломилися до будинку Тома та пограбували його.
Meaning
9 senses(transitive)To search (a place, through things, etc.) thoroughly, especially when vigorous and leaving behind a state of disarray.
search thoroughly
(transitive)To search (someone or a place) thoroughly in order to steal something, especially when vigorous and leaving behind a state of disarray; hence, to rob (someone or a place); to plunder.
to ransack a house for valuables
plündern
(transitive)To search for and steal (something) as plunder.
steal goods; take as spoils
(intransitive)To search thoroughly, especially when leaving behind a state of disarray.
(archaic, figuratively, transitive)To examine (someone or something) carefully; to investigate; also, to question (someone) thoroughly; to interrogate.
(obsolete, transitive)To look for or seek out (someone).
(obsolete, transitive)To search (someone) for a thing.
(figuratively, obsolete, transitive)Synonym of penetrate (“to make way into the interior of (something); to pierce”); also, synonym of pervade (“to enter and spread through (something); to permeate”).
(archaic, intransitive)To search for and steal things.
Examples
23 sentencesSome kids broke into Tom's house and ransacked it.
Якісь хлопці вломилися до будинку Тома та пограбували його. — deniko
They ransacked our bedroom.
Someone has ransacked the place.
Somebody has ransacked my room.
Tom's office has been ransacked.
Translations
5 languagesBy meaning 2
Origin
The verb is derived from Middle English ransaken (“to examine, investigate; to rob, plundeThe verb is derived from Middle English ransaken (“to examine, investigate; to rob, plunder, steal; to search, seek; to treat roughly, mistreat”), from Old Norse rannsaka (“to search a house (especially for stolen goods)”), from rann (“house”) (from Proto-Germanic *razną (“dwelling, house”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁reh₁- (“to rest; quiet”)) + saka, an ablaut variant of sœkja, sǿkja (“to look for, search, seek”) (from Proto-Germanic *sōkijaną (“to look for, seek”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *seh₂g- (“to follow; to seek out, trace”)).
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Forms
ransacks, ransacking, ransacked, ransackedSynonyms
14 synonymsWord family
4 related wordsLessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, regular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Present perfect: introduction — Because of its past participle