Ransacked - Meaning, Definition & English Examples
Ransacked means to search a place thoroughly and violently, often leaving it in disorder. It implies a hurried or aggressive action, typically during theft or a raid.
Definition:
To search thoroughly and violently, often causing damage or disorder.
Synonyms:
looted, pillaged, plundered, ravaged
Part of Speech:
verb
Antonyms:
protected, secured
Common Collocations:
ransacked house, ransacked room, ransacked office
Derivatives:
ransacking, ransacker
Usage Tips:
Use "ransacked" to describe a violent or chaotic search that leaves things disorganized or damaged.
Common Phrases:
ransacked the place, left ransacked, completely ransacked
Etymology:
From Middle English *ransaken*, from Old Norse *rannsaka* ("to search a house").
Examples:
- 1. The burglars ransacked the apartment looking for valuables.
- 2. She returned to find her desk had been ransacked during the break-in.
- 3. The soldiers ransacked the village after the battle.
- 4. His room looked like it had been ransacked by a tornado.
- 5. The thieves ransacked the store and fled before dawn.