Meaning & use
plunder
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Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitive
To steal valuable goods from a place by force, especially during war or disorder.
Grammar: Usually takes an object: plunder a village; can stand alone: the army plundered freely.
Patterns
- plunder something
- plunder something of something
Pirates plundered the merchant ships along the coast.
Looters plundered the shops during the blackout.
The invaders plundered the temple of its gold.
verbtransitivefigurative
To take or use up a resource carelessly or greedily, as if robbing it.
Grammar: Takes an object: plunder the fish stocks.
Patterns
- plunder the resources of something
Reckless fishing has plundered the ocean.
He plundered the family fortune on gambling.
noununcountable
Goods taken by force, or the act of taking them.
Grammar: Mass noun: the plunder was divided; no plural.
Patterns
- share the plunder
- a life of plunder
The raiders left with their plunder in sacks.
A life of plunder made the captain rich.
Museums now return plunder taken in old wars.
Word forms
| third person singular | plunders |
|---|---|
| past tense | plundered |
| past participle | plundered |
| -ing form | plundering |
Common combinations
- plunder a city
- Soldiers plundered the city for three days.
- plunder the treasury
- Corrupt officials plundered the treasury.
- rich plunder
- The pirates found rich plunder on the island.
- share the plunder
- The thieves argued about how to share the plunder.
- plunder resources
- Mining companies were accused of plundering resources.
Synonyms and how they differ
- loot
- Loot often describes theft during riots or after a disaster, while plunder suggests organized pillaging, especially in war.
- pillage
- Pillage stresses destruction and violent robbery of a town, and is slightly more vivid than plunder.
- raid
- A raid is a quick attack, whereas plunder focuses on taking goods.
- ransack
- Ransack means to search a place violently for valuables, often leaving it in a mess.
Opposites
Word family
- plunderer noun
- a person who plunders
- plundering noun
- the act of stealing by force
- plundered adjective
- robbed of goods
Commonly confused: plunder or plummet?
plunder vs plummet
Plummet means to fall sharply and has no link to stealing.
Practice
Which sentence uses plunder most naturally?
Choose one answer.
Plunder means to take goods by force, typically in conflict. The other sentences have no violent robbery.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “plunder”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.