Skip to content

rapire

kidnap

verb rah-PEE-reh Less Common

Origin: from Latin 'rapere' (to seize)

Also means

enrapture

Usage Note

Rapire literally means to abduct or kidnap a person, but it also means to enchant, as in uno spettacolo che rapisce (a captivating show). It belongs to the -isc- conjugation: rapisco, rapisci, rapisce.

Examples

"Hanno tentato di rapire il bambino."

Natural Translation

They tried to kidnap the child.

Literal Translation

They-have tried to kidnap the child.

Explore Italian by topic