Ransack Definition

rănsăk

ransacked, ransacking, ransacks

verb

ransacked, ransacking, ransacks

To search thoroughly; examine every part of in searching.

Webster's New World

To go through (a place) stealing valuables and causing disarray; pillage.

Ransacked the village.

American Heritage

To search through for plunder; pillage; rob.

Webster's New World

To make a vigorous and thorough search of (a place, person) with a view to stealing something, especially when leaving behind a state of disarray.

To ransack a house for valuables.

Wiktionary

(archaic) To examine carefully; to investigate.

Wiktionary

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

Origin of Ransack

Middle English ransaken from Old Norse rannsaka rann house saka to search, seek sāg- in Indo-European roots

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
From Middle English ransaken, from Old Norse rannsakka, from rann (“house") + saka (“search"); probably influenced by sack

From Wiktionary

Find similar words to ransack using the buttons below.