Meaning & use
seize
Last updated
Meanings
verbtransitive
To grab something suddenly and hold it tightly.
Grammar: Always takes an object: she seized the rope.
Patterns
- seize something
- seize someone by the arm
He seized the child's hand before she crossed the road.
The cat seized the toy and ran off.
She seized the rope and pulled herself up.
verbtransitive
To take something by force or by legal authority.
Grammar: Takes an object: officials seized the goods.
Patterns
- seize something from someone
- seize control of something
Customs officers seized a large shipment of fake watches.
Rebels seized the airport at dawn.
The bank can seize the house if payments stop.
verbtransitivefigurative
To make full use of a chance or opportunity quickly.
Grammar: Usually followed by opportunity, chance, or moment: seize the chance.
Patterns
- seize the opportunity
- seize the day
She seized the opportunity to speak to the director.
Seize the moment and apply today.
verbintransitive
To stop working suddenly because parts have become stuck, often followed by up.
Grammar: No object; often with up: the engine seized up.
Patterns
- something seizes up
The engine seized because it had no oil.
My back seized up after the long drive.
Word forms
| third person singular | seizes |
|---|---|
| past tense | seized |
| past participle | seized |
| -ing form | seizing |
Common combinations
- seize the opportunity
- We must seize the opportunity while prices are low.
- seize control
- The army seized control of the capital.
- seize someone by the arm
- He seized her by the arm to stop her falling.
- seize assets
- Police seized the criminal's assets.
- seize up
- Old locks often seize up in winter.
Synonyms and how they differ
- grab
- Grab is more casual and less forceful in tone than seize, and it rarely appears in legal contexts.
- capture
- Capture suggests taking a person or place, usually after a struggle, while seize can also apply to objects and chances.
- confiscate
- Confiscate means taking away by authority as a punishment or for rule-breaking, while seize can also be violent or sudden.
- snatch
- Snatch is a quick, often rough, grab and sounds less official than seize.
Opposites
Word family
- seizure noun
- the act of seizing, or a sudden medical attack
- seizable adjective
- able to be taken by force or law
Commonly confused: seize or siege?
seize vs siege
A siege is a long military blockade of a place. Seize is a verb meaning to grab or take.
Practice
Which word completes the sentence correctly? Officials will ____ the property if the taxes remain unpaid.
Choose one answer.
Seize is the verb for legally taking property. Sees is a form of see, and siege and seed are different words.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “seize”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.