seizing

seizing — verb

1. to grab something quickly so that it is in your hands or under your control, oft

1.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to grab something quickly so that it is in your hands or under your control, often before someone else can reach it

Example

Rodrigo seized the letter from the table before anyone else could read it.

The goalkeeper seized the ball and held it firmly against his chest.

Common collocations
  • seize the moment
  • seize an opportunity
  • seize someone by the arm
Synonyms
  • grab

    more informal and often faster than seize

  • snatch

    implies taking something away from someone with a quick, sudden movement

Antonyms
  • release

    to let go of something you are holding

Grammar Patterns

seize + noun phrase

Usage Note

This sense emphasises speed and the fact that the object might otherwise be taken by someone else.

Common Mistakes

She seized his hand and held it for five minutes.' (implies grabbing quickly)
She took his hand and held it for five minutes.
'seize' suggests a fast, firm grab, not a gentle or prolonged hold.

2. to take control of a place or object by using sudden physical power or military

2.verbtransitiveC2
Definition

to take control of a place or object by using sudden physical power or military action

Example

Government forces seized the rebel headquarters after three days of heavy fighting.

military context: seize + territory / building

The pirates seized the merchant ship and locked the crew in the hold.

Common collocations
  • seize control
  • seize power
  • seize a city
  • seize a fortress
Synonyms
  • capture

    more commonly used for taking a person or place as a military target

  • storm

    specifically means to attack and take a place by rushing in with force

Antonyms
  • surrender

    to give up control of a place to an enemy

Grammar Patterns

seize + noun phrase

Usage Note

Frequently used in military or conflict contexts. The object is typically a place (city, building, ship) or an object that requires force to obtain.

Common Mistakes

The police seized the stolen wallet.' (this is legal confiscation, not force)
The army seized the airport in a surprise attack.
use TAKE BY FORCE for military takeover, not for legal confiscation.

3. when police, customs officers, or other legal authorities officially take posses

3.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

when police, customs officers, or other legal authorities officially take possession of goods, property, or documents because they are illegal or linked to a crime

Example

Customs officials seized the smuggled cigarettes at the border checkpoint.

legal context: officials seize + illegal goods

The court ordered the police to seize all assets obtained through the fraud scheme.

Common collocations
  • seize property
  • seize assets
  • seize goods
  • seized by customs
  • seized by police
Synonyms
  • confiscate

    the most direct synonym for legal/official taking

  • impound

    specifically used for vehicles, documents, or evidence held by authorities

  • forfeit

    suggests losing something as a penalty for breaking a rule

Antonyms
  • return

    to give seized property back to its owner

Grammar Patterns

seize + noun phrase

Usage Note

Subject is usually a legal authority (police, customs, court). Frequently used in passive constructions when the focus is on the item taken rather than the authority taking it.

Common Mistakes

The teacher seized my phone.' (usually too dramatic for a classroom context)
The teacher confiscated my phone.' or ✅ 'The teacher took my phone away.
'seize' in the legal sense sounds overly official for everyday school situations.

4. if a powerful feeling or physical sensation suddenly affects you very strongly,

4.verbtransitive / intransitiveC1
Definition

if a powerful feeling or physical sensation suddenly affects you very strongly, often leaving you unable to think clearly or act normally

Example

When the lights went out, Eleni was seized by a sudden wave of panic.

passive: be seized by + emotion

The earthquake shook the building and many residents were seized with terror.

passive: be seized with + emotion

Common collocations
  • seized by fear
  • seized with panic
  • seized by a desire
  • seized with regret
  • seized by a sudden pain
Synonyms
  • overwhelm

    similar in meaning but used in both active and passive; a feeling overwhelms someone

  • overcome

    very close in meaning; 'be overcome by emotion' is an alternative phrasing

Grammar Patterns

be seized by + emotion

be seized with + emotion

Usage Note

Almost always in the passive voice: 'be seized by/with [emotion or sensation]'. The emotion is typically negative (fear, panic, despair) or intense (desire, rage). Distinguish from sense 1 (TAKE QUICKLY) — here the subject does not act; the emotion acts upon the person.

Common Mistakes

I seized panic when I saw the results.' (active voice, wrong structure)
I was seized with panic when I saw the results.
this sense requires the passive pattern 'be seized by/with + emotion'.

seizing — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

These words all describe taking or holding something with the hands, but they differ in speed, force, and intention. 'Seize' (TAKE QUICKLY) emphasises grabbing something swiftly and firmly, often because you want to prevent someone else from reaching it first. 'Grab' is more informal and suggests a quicker, less deliberate motion — you might grab a snack before running out the door. 'Snatch' implies a sudden, often aggressive pulling motion, typically taking something away from someone, like snatching a phone from a child's hand. 'Clutch' focuses on holding something tightly, often out of fear or need, rather than the act of taking it. 'Grasp' is more controlled and thoughtful than 'seize'; you grasp a handrail for support, but you seize an opportunity or a fleeing object. For example: 'Rodrigo seized the letter before his brother could hide it.' vs. 'The child clutched her teddy bear during the storm.'

grab ↗snatchclutch ↗grasp ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • seize the moment
  • seize an opportunity
  • seize control of
  • seized by panic
  • seized by force

Prepositions

Etymology

Frankish (Germanic)LatinOld FrenchEnglish

The word 'seizing' comes from the verb 'seize', which entered English through Old French 'saisir' meaning 'to take possession of'. The French term came from Late Latin 'sacīre', a Frankish (Germanic) root related to claiming or taking as one's own. The noun sense (a type of nautical lashing) developed separately in the 17th–18th centuries among English sailors, possibly derived from the same root but applied to the physical act of binding or 'seizing' two ropes together.