tiger kidnapping: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1-C2Formal, journalistic, law enforcement
Quick answer
What does “tiger kidnapping” mean?
A criminal tactic where a person is abducted and held hostage to force a third party (often a relative or colleague) to perform a specific illegal act, typically a robbery, to secure the hostage's release.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A criminal tactic where a person is abducted and held hostage to force a third party (often a relative or colleague) to perform a specific illegal act, typically a robbery, to secure the hostage's release.
A form of coercion that exploits personal relationships to force compliance, often involving a time-sensitive threat of violence against a loved one if demands are not met. The strategy is designed to bypass security measures by leveraging emotional leverage.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term is more established and widely used in UK and Irish English due to notable historical cases. In American English, it is understood but less frequently used; law enforcement may more commonly use descriptive phrases like 'coercive abduction' or 'hostage-forced robbery.'
Connotations
Connotes sophisticated, pre-planned criminality in UK usage. In US usage, it may sound like a specific jargon import.
Frequency
High frequency in UK/Irish crime reporting; low-to-medium frequency in US specialized contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “tiger kidnapping” in a Sentence
[Perpetrators] + tiger kidnapped + [Family member] to force + [Target] to + [Action]A tiger kidnapping took place when + [Event]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “tiger kidnapping” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The gang attempted to tiger-kidnap the manager's son.
American English
- The suspects plotted to tiger kidnap a bank employee's spouse.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Discussed in corporate security briefings regarding executive protection and fraud prevention.
Academic
Used in criminology, sociology, and law journals analyzing organized crime methodologies.
Everyday
Rare; only in news reports about serious crimes.
Technical
Standard terminology in UK police procedures and threat assessment reports.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “tiger kidnapping”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “tiger kidnapping”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “tiger kidnapping”
- Using it as a verb (e.g., 'They tiger kidnapped him' – awkward; prefer 'They carried out a tiger kidnapping').
- Confusing it with a kidnapping for ransom paid by the captive's own family.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. It is a metaphor comparing the criminal's stalking method to a tiger's hunting behavior. The victim is always a human.
The primary goal is not ransom from the hostage's family, but to coercively manipulate a connected third party into performing a specific act, like robbery or data theft.
The term is most prevalent in UK and Irish English, particularly in law enforcement and media reporting on organized crime.
While the noun form is standard, the verbal form 'to tiger-kidnap' (often hyphenated) is occasionally seen in journalism, though some style guides consider it non-standard.
A criminal tactic where a person is abducted and held hostage to force a third party (often a relative or colleague) to perform a specific illegal act, typically a robbery, to secure the hostage's release.
Tiger kidnapping is usually formal, journalistic, law enforcement in register.
Tiger kidnapping: in British English it is pronounced /ˈtaɪɡə ˈkɪdnæpɪŋ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈtaɪɡər ˈkɪdnæpɪŋ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “To play the tiger (not directly related but shares the metaphorical predator concept).”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a tiger STALKING its prey: the criminals stalk a victim's loved one to force the victim to act.
Conceptual Metaphor
CRIME IS PREDATION / COERCION IS LEVERAGE.
Practice
Quiz
What is the defining characteristic of a 'tiger kidnapping'?