Meaning & use
ransom note
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A written message from someone who has taken a person and demands money for that person's release.
Grammar: Countable: use 'a ransom note' or 'ransom notes'.
Patterns
- send a ransom note
- receive a ransom note
The family received a ransom note demanding a million dollars.
Police traced the paper used in the ransom note.
The kidnappers sent a ransom note to the victim's office.
nouncountablefigurative
A note that demands payment to stop a threat, such as an attack on a computer system.
Grammar: Used for modern threats like ransomware; the note is usually digital.
Patterns
- a digital ransom note
The hackers left a ransom note on every infected computer screen.
A ransom note appeared after the company's files were locked.
Word forms
| plural | ransom notes |
|---|
Common combinations
- send a ransom note
- The criminals sent a ransom note to the bank.
- receive a ransom note
- She received a ransom note by email.
- write a ransom note
- The kidnapper wrote a ransom note in red ink.
- handwritten ransom note
- The police examined the handwritten ransom note.
Synonyms and how they differ
- demand note
- A demand note asks for money but is not always linked to a kidnapping; ransom note is the specific term for a hostage situation.
Word family
- ransom noun
- The money demanded for a person's release.
- ransomware noun
- Software that locks files and demands payment to unlock them.
Commonly confused: ransom note or random note?
ransom note vs random note
Random note means a note with no plan; a ransom note is a criminal demand.
Practice
The kidnappers ___ a ransom note to the family.
Choose one answer.
The past tense 'sent' matches the past context. 'Send' is present and 'sending' is not a finite verb here.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “ransom note”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.