arrest

arrest — verb

1. When officers arrest a person, they take that person into custody so they can be

1.verbtransitiveB1
Definition

When officers arrest a person, they take that person into custody so they can be questioned, charged, or tried in court for a possible crime.

Example

Officers arrested Daniel outside the bank shortly after the alarm went off.

arrest + person, location/time adverbial

The protesters were arrested for blocking the main road during rush hour.

passive: be arrested for + -ing

Common collocations
  • arrest a suspect
  • arrest a thief
  • arrest somebody for
  • be wrongly arrested
Synonyms
  • detain

    more formal; often used for shorter holds, including before a formal arrest

  • apprehend

    formal, often in news or police reports

  • nick

    British informal slang for arrest

Antonyms
  • release

    let someone go from police custody

  • free

    general opposite of holding someone

Grammar Patterns

arrest + somebody

arrest somebody for + noun/-ing

Usage Note

Subject is almost always a police officer or other legal authority; ordinary citizens do not 'arrest' people in everyday English. Frequently used in the passive: 'be arrested for [crime/action]'.

Common Mistakes

The shop owner arrested the thief himself.
The shop owner caught the thief and called the police.
only police or legal authorities can 'arrest' someone.

2. To make a process, change, or movement slow down or fail to continue, especially

2.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

To make a process, change, or movement slow down or fail to continue, especially something that has been growing or developing for some time.

Example

The new medicine helped arrest the spread of the disease across the village.

arrest + the spread of (typical object)

Heavy rain arrested the forest fire just before it reached the school.

Common collocations
  • arrest the decline
  • arrest the spread
  • arrest the growth
  • arrest the development
Synonyms
  • halt

    close in meaning, slightly less formal

  • check

    formal; suggests slowing rather than fully stopping

  • stem

    common with 'tide', 'flow', 'spread'

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

arrest + the development/growth/spread of something

Usage Note

Object is usually a process noun such as 'spread', 'decline', 'growth', or 'development'. Typical in formal writing, news reports, and medical or scientific contexts; rare in casual conversation.

Common Mistakes

I arrested my car at the red light.
I stopped my car at the red light.
'arrest' is not used for stopping vehicles or everyday actions; use 'stop' instead.

3. To suddenly make someone look at or think carefully about something because it i

3.verbtransitiveC2
Definition

To suddenly make someone look at or think carefully about something because it is interesting, strange, or surprising.

Example

A bright red painting on the back wall arrested Sophie's attention as she entered the gallery.

arrest + somebody's attention (typical object)

The sudden silence in the kitchen arrested my eye more than any loud noise could.

arrest + somebody's eye

Common collocations
  • arrest one's attention
  • arrest the eye
  • arrest the gaze
Synonyms
  • captivate

    to hold attention through charm or interest

  • grip

    informal; suggests strong, lasting hold on attention

  • rivet

    to hold someone completely still through interest

Antonyms
  • bore

    fail to hold someone's interest

Grammar Patterns

arrest + somebody's attention/eye/gaze

Usage Note

Object is usually 'attention', 'eye', 'gaze', or a person being captivated. Mainly literary or formal; in everyday speech, native speakers say 'catch someone's eye' or 'grab someone's attention'.

Common Mistakes

The teacher arrested the noisy students.
The teacher got the noisy students' attention.
without an attention-related object, 'arrest' suggests police arrest, which changes the meaning.

arrest — noun

Word family

  • arresting
    adjectiveC2
  • arrestable
    adjectiveC2
  • rearrest
    verbC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All five verbs describe holding a person against their will, but they differ in formality and scope. 'Arrest' is the standard legal term: police 'arrest' a suspect to bring them in for questioning or charges. 'Detain' is broader and often shorter — airport officers can 'detain' a traveller for an hour without formally arresting them. 'Apprehend' is formal and common in news reports or police statements ('officers apprehended the suspect near the river'). 'Capture' suggests effort and a chase, and works for escaped prisoners or animals as well as suspects. 'Nick' is British slang and very informal — friends might joke, 'He got nicked for speeding,' but a judge would never use it. Choose 'arrest' for everyday speech and 'apprehend' for formal writing.

arrest ↗detain ↗apprehend ↗capture ↗nick ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • arrest warrant
  • house arrest
  • citizen's arrest
  • arrest record

Adverbs

Phrases

  • make an arrest
  • resist arrest
  • place under arrest
  • you're under arrest

Prepositions

  • arrest for
  • arrest on (charges of)
  • under arrest

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'arrest' came into English in the 14th century from Old French 'arester', meaning 'to stop, stay, or hold back'. That French verb came from a Latin form built on 'restare', which meant 'to remain' or 'stay behind'. The earliest English use was the general 'stop / hold back' meaning still seen today in phrases like 'arrest the spread'. The narrower legal sense — police taking someone into custody — grew naturally from this idea of stopping a person from leaving, and became the most common meaning by the 1500s.