rapitore

kidnapper

noun rah-pee-TOH-reh Rare

Origin: From rapire (to abduct), Latin rapere (to seize) + agentive suffix -tore.

Also means

abductor

Usage Note

Rapitore is the masculine agent noun; the feminine form is rapitrìce. It specifically means someone who abducts a person, not a thief — the verb is rapire (to kidnap), distinct from rubare (to steal). Plural rapitori.

Examples

"La polizia ha arrestato il rapitore."

Natural Translation

The police arrested the kidnapper.

Free starter pack

Building your Italian vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common Italian words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Related Words

Explore Italian by topic

ItalianNow

Italian Dialects vs Standard Italian: A Guide

Standard Italian works everywhere, so relax: this three-layer guide to Italian dialects vs standard Italian shows what to ignore and what to notice.

June 9, 2026 6 min read

ItalianNow

Italian Present Tense: -are, -ere, -ire Verbs

Conjugate Italian present-tense verbs fast: one color-coded chart for -are, -ere, and -ire endings, plus the sneaky -isc- group most guides bury.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

ItalianNow

Italian Restaurant Etiquette: Mistakes to Avoid

Skip the cappuccino after dinner, never put parmesan on fish, and learn the exact Italian phrases to order gracefully and avoid looking like a tourist.

June 5, 2026 5 min read

ItalianNow

Days & Months in Italian: A Beginner's Guide

Days of the week in Italian are lowercase, all masculine except la domenica, and il lunedì means every Monday. Learn the days, months, dates, and seasons.

June 5, 2026 4 min read