Meaning & use
marauders
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“marauders” is a form of “marauder”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nounplural
People who go around in a group attacking places and taking valuables, especially in times of war or disorder.
Grammar: Plural form of marauder: the marauders attacked the village.
Patterns
- bands of marauders
- marauders attack something
Bands of marauders burned the farms and drove away the cattle.
The villagers built a wall to keep out the marauders.
Marauders crept into the abandoned town after the earthquake.
nounpluralfigurative
Animals that roam about in a group and attack crops, livestock or property.
Grammar: Used about wild animals in a figurative or lively way.
Patterns
- marauders raid something
Hungry monkeys, the marauders of the orchard, stripped the trees in an hour.
Gulls act as marauders on the beach, stealing food from picnics.
Farmers set up lights to scare off raccoons and other nighttime marauders.
Word forms
| singular | marauder |
|---|
Common combinations
- band of marauders
- A band of marauders attacked the convoy.
- roving marauders
- Roving marauders made the roads unsafe.
- fend off marauders
- The farmers fended off marauders with dogs and torches.
- marauders raided
- Marauders raided the harbor town twice that winter.
- armed marauders
- Armed marauders cut the village off from the capital.
Synonyms and how they differ
- raiders
- Raiders is a plain, neutral word for people making an attack, while marauders suggests lawless roaming and looting.
- looters
- Looters steal during or after a disaster, whereas marauders also actively attack and move from place to place.
- bandits
- Bandits are outlaws who rob travelers, often in remote areas, while marauders may be a larger group raiding settlements.
- pillagers
- Pillagers stresses the destruction and plundering of a place, while marauders stresses the roving, attacking group.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: marauders or mariners?
marauders vs mariners
Mariners are sailors; the similar beginning can cause mix-ups, but marauders are raiders.
Practice
The villagers built high walls to protect their homes from ___ who came down from the hills each autumn.
Choose one answer.
Marauders are raiders who attack and steal, which explains why walls were needed. Merchants would not usually need such protection against.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “marauders”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.