ransack

C2+ Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ˈrænsæk/ UK /ˈrænsæk/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

verb
to search thoroughly and roughly through a place, often to steal

Burglars ransacked the house while the family was away.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to search thoroughly and... plunder pillage loot rifle despoil scour rummage

Word family

Derived forms ransackerransacking

Related forms ramshackle

Simplified etymology

Ransack came into Middle English from Old Norse rannsaka, formed from rann “house” and an element related to “seek.” It was originally a legal term for searching property for stolen goods, a sense still close to the word’s modern meaning.

Etymology

From Middle English ransaken, from Old Norse rannsaka ('to search a house'), from rann ('house') + saka ('to seek').

rannsaka Old Norse rann Old Norse

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# ransack

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈrænsæk/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈrænsæk/

## Meanings
1. to search thoroughly and roughly through a place, often to steal

## Examples
- Burglars ransacked the house while the family was away.

## Synonyms
- plunder
- pillage
- loot
- rifle
- despoil
- scour
- rummage

## Derived Forms
- ransacker
- ransacking

## Related Forms
- ramshackle

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: rannsaka
- Root: rann

## Etymology
From Middle English ransaken, from Old Norse rannsaka ('to search a house'), from rann ('house') + saka ('to seek').

## AI Etymology
Ransack comes from Middle English ransaken, from Old Norse rannsaka ('to search a house'), from rann ('house') + saka ('to seek'). The form is best read as a historical transfer or inheritance, with its older language material carrying the main semantic load. As a verb, it means "to search thoroughly and roughly through a place, often to steal", so the modern sense keeps the older action or relation visible. Relevant historical forms include Old Norse rannsaka and Old Norse rann. Derivative forms include ransacker, ransacking; related words include ramshackle.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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