kidnapper
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kidnapper
A male person who kidnaps another person against their will, that is, takes them to another place and holds them there, often to extort ransom or for other criminal motives.
Die Polizei konnte den Entführer nach einer langen Verfolgungsjagd festnehmen.
The police were able to arrest the kidnapper after a long chase.
The word is derived from the verb 'entführen' (to kidnap). The prefix 'ent-' here means 'away,' and 'führen' means 'to lead.' An 'Entführer' (kidnapper) is therefore literally someone who leads a person away.
Die Zeugin konnte den Mann beschreiben, der das Kind entführt hatte.
The witness was able to describe the man who had kidnapped the child.
'Der Entführer' (the kidnapper) belongs to a word family. The verb for the action is 'entführen' (to kidnap), and the noun for the act itself is 'die Entführung' (the kidnapping).
Die Entführung des Geschäftsmannes war wochenlang in den Nachrichten.
The kidnapping of the businessman was in the news for weeks.
'Der Entführer' (the kidnapper) is typically the doer of the action (agent) in the sentence. It often appears as the subject in an active sentence or after the preposition 'von' (by) in a passive sentence.
Der Entführer forderte eine Million Euro Lösegeld.
The kidnapper demanded one million euros in ransom.
blackmailer
'der Entführer' and 'der Erpresser' both describe criminals, but they do not do the same thing. An 'Entführer' takes a person away against their will and holds them. An 'Erpresser' threatens someone, for example with violence or with secret information, so that the person pays money or does something. The words can occur together because a kidnapper often also demands ransom. Still, the core meaning is different: 'Entführung' means holding a person captive, while 'Erpressung' means pressure through threats.
Die Polizei suchte den Entführer des Kindes die ganze Nacht.
The police searched for the child's kidnapper all night.
Der Erpresser drohte dem Firmenchef mit privaten Fotos.
The blackmailer threatened the company boss with private photos.