lynch

lynch — 動詞

1. to capture and kill someone, especially by hanging, because a group judges that

1.動詞及物B2
釋義

動私刑

群眾未經法律程序以暴力殺害某人

to capture and kill someone, especially by hanging, because a group judges that person guilty and acts as though they were the court, with no judge or jury involved.

例句

A mob lynched the young man after falsely accusing him of stealing a horse.

一群暴民誣指那名年輕男子偷馬，隨後對他動了私刑。

active voice: 'mob lynched [person]' for perpetrator-focused action

In 1919, a mob dragged Sivan from his home and lynched him outside the town.

1919 年一群暴民將 Sivan 從家中拖出，在鎮外將他處以私刑。

active voice: 'mob dragged [person] from [place] and lynched [person]' for narrative concreteness

同義詞
  • execute

    state-sanctioned and follows a legal process; 'lynch' is always illegal and carried out by a mob

  • murder

    broader term for any unlawful killing; 'lynch' is a specific type of murder by a group acting as self-appointed judges

  • string up

    informal and less precise; can mean hang someone, not always with the historical or racial weight of 'lynch'

文法句型

lynch + noun phrase

be lynched (passive)

用法筆記

Carries strong historical weight, especially connected to racial violence against African Americans in the post-Civil War United States, though lynching has occurred worldwide. Avoid using the word casually or metaphorically for non-lethal violence; reserve it for extrajudicial killing by a group. The noun form 'lynching' is also common in historical and human-rights discourse.

常見錯誤

❌The government lynched the prisoner at dawn.
✅The government executed the prisoner at dawn.
💡'Execute' refers to a lawful, state-ordered punishment; 'lynch' describes illegal killing by a group without legal authority.
❌The bullies lynched him in the schoolyard.
✅The bullies beat him up in the schoolyard.
💡'Lynch' specifically means killing, and carries extreme historical weight; it is not a synonym for any violent attack.