English Words for "Crime and Violence" | B2 Vocabulary

to capture

Verb

c

k

a

æ

p

t

ʧ

u

ɜ

r

e

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to catch an animal or a person and keep them as a prisoner

Example

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The zookeepers capture wild animals for conservation purposes.

The police officer captures criminals and ensures they face legal consequences.

Grammatical Information:

transitive

to expose

Verb

e

ɪ

x

ks

p

o

oʊ

s

z

e

to publicly reveal something that was previously hidden or unknown

Grammatical Information:

transitive

to get away with

Verb

/ɡɛt ɐwˈeɪ wɪð/

to escape punishment for one's wrong actions

Grammatical Information:

transitive

Phrasal Status

inseparable

phrase's verb

get

phrase's particle

away with

to monitor

Verb

m

o

ɑ:

n

i

ɪ

t

o

ə

r

to secretly listen to a phone conversation between individuals in order to gain specific information

Grammatical Information:

transitive

to pursue

Verb

p

u

ɜ

r

s

ue

u

to go after someone or something, particularly to catch them

Grammatical Information:

transitive

to resist

Verb

r

e

i

s

z

i

ɪ

s

t

to use force to prevent something from happening or to fight against an attack

Grammatical Information:

transitive

to sentence

Verb

s

e

ɛ

n

t

e

ə

n

c

s

e

to officially state the punishment of someone found guilty in a court of law

Grammatical Information:

transitive

to traffic

Verb

t

r

a

æ

ff

f

i

ɪ

c

k

to illegally trade something

Grammatical Information:

transitive

to witness

Verb

w

i

ɪ

t

n

e

ə

ss

s

to see an act of crime or an accident

Grammatical Information:

transitive

arrest

noun

a

ɜ

rr

r

e

ɛ

s

t

the legal act of capturing someone and taking them into custody by law enforcement

bulletproof vest

noun

/bˈʊlɪtpɹˌuːf vˈɛst/

a piece of protective clothing worn to shield against bullets and keep the wearer safe from injury

Grammatical Information:

compound noun

community service

noun

/kəmjˈuːnɪɾi sˈɜːvɪs/

unpaid work done either as a form of punishment by a criminal or as a voluntary service by a citizen

Grammatical Information:

compound noun

cell

noun

c

s

e

ɛ

ll

l

a very small enclosed space in which a prisoner is kept

jail

noun

j

ʤ

ai

eɪ

l

a place where criminals are put into by law as a form of punishment for their crimes

life sentence

noun

/lˈaɪf sˈɛntəns/

the punishment in which an individual is made to stay in jail for the rest of their life, typically for committing a serious crime

Grammatical Information:

compound noun

crime

noun

c

k

r

i

aɪ

m

e

an unlawful act that is punishable by the legal system

eyewitness

noun

e

y

aɪ

e

w

i

ɪ

t

n

e

ə

ss

s

someone who has personally seen of an object, event, etc. and can describe it

offender

noun

o

ə

ff

f

e

ɛ

n

d

e

ɜ

r

a person who commits a crime

drug dealer

noun

/dɹˈʌɡ dˈiːlɚ/

an individual who sells illegal drugs such as narcotics, opioids, etc.

Grammatical Information:

compound noun

fraud

noun

f

r

au

ɔ

d

a criminal who deceives people for financial interest or personal advantage

gang

noun

g

a

æ

n

g

a group of criminals who work together

pickpocket

noun

p

i

ɪ

ck

k

p

o

ɑ

ck

k

e

ə

t

a criminal who steals money or other goods from people's pockets or bags

bombing

noun

b

o

ɑ

m

b

i

ɪ

n

g

the act of using bombs, especially by terrorists to cause harm, damage, or fear in a population

burglary

noun

b

u

ɜ:

r

g

l

a

ə

r

y

i

the crime of entering a building to commit illegal activities such as stealing, damaging property, etc.

drunk driving

noun

/dɹˈʌŋk dɹˈaɪvɪŋ/

the act of driving a vehicle such as a car while being drunk

What is "drunk driving"?

Drunk driving refers to operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, which weakens a person's ability to drive safely. Alcohol affects coordination, reaction time, and judgment, making it dangerous for the driver and others on the road. Laws in most places set a legal limit for blood alcohol content (BAC), and exceeding this limit can result in penalties like fines, license suspension, or even imprisonment. It is essential to avoid driving after drinking to ensure safety for everyone on the road.

Grammatical Information:

compound noun

identity theft

noun

/aɪdˈɛntɪɾi θˈɛft/

the illegal use of someone's name and personal information without their knowledge, particularly to gain money or goods

Grammatical Information:

compound noun

robbery

noun

r

o

ɑ

bb

b

e

ɜ

r

y

i

the crime of stealing money or goods from someone or somewhere, especially by violence or threat

shooting

noun

sh

ʃ

oo

u

t

i

ɪ

n

g

the action of firing a gun toward a person or group

shoplifting

noun

sh

ʃ

o

ɑ

p

l

i

ɪ

f

t

i

ɪ

n

g

the crime of taking goods from a store without paying for them

terrorism

noun

t

e

rr

r

o

ə

r

i

ɪ

s

z

ə

m

the act of using violence such as killing people, bombing, etc. to gain political power

vandalism

noun

v

a

æ

n

d

a

ə

l

i

ɪ

s

z

ə

m

the illegal act of purposefully damaging a property belonging to another person or organization

violence

noun

v

io

aɪə

l

e

ə

n

c

s

e

a crime that is intentionally directed toward a person or thing to hurt, intimidate, or kill them

to break out

Verb

/bɹˈeɪk ˈaʊt/

to free oneself from a place that one is being held against their will, such as a prison

Grammatical Information:

intransitive

Phrasal Status

inseparable

phrase's verb

break

phrase's particle

out

to hang

Verb

h

a

æ

n

g

to kill a person by holding them in the air with a rope tied around their neck

break

noun

b

r

ea

eɪ

k

an escape from a place, typically where one is being held against their will

grass

noun

g

r

a

æ

ss

s

a type of drug derived from the dried leaves and flowers of a plant called Cannabis or Marijuana, which is illegal in many countries

narc

noun

n

a

ɑ

r

c

k

someone, particularly a police officer, whose job consists of dealing with the illegal use, production, or distribution of drugs

stoned

Adjective

s

t

o

oʊ

n

e

d

feeling or acting unusually different due to the influence of alcohol, marijuana, etc.

to trip

Verb

t

r

i

ɪ

p

to experience a powerful and sometimes unusual change in one's thoughts, feelings, and perceptions as a result of taking drugs such as LSD or magic mushrooms

Grammatical Information:

transitive

breathalyzer

noun

b

r

ea

ɛ

th

θ

a

l

y

aɪ

z

e

ə

r

a special device used by the police, which analyzes the content of a driver's breath to determine how much alcohol they have consumed

to disobey

Verb

d

i

ɪ

s

o

ə

b

e

y

ɪ

to refuse to follow rules, commands, or orders

obey

Grammatical Information:

transitive

to lock away

Verb

/lˈɑːk ɐwˈeɪ/

to put a person in a place where they can not escape from, such as a psychiatric hospital or prison

Grammatical Information:

Phrasal Status

separable

phrase's verb

lock

phrase's particle

away

dead to rights

phrase

/dˈɛd tə ɹˈaɪts/

Idiom

Informal

in a situation where there is clear proof of one's crime or wrongdoing

What is the origin of the idiom "dead to rights" and when to use it?

The origin of the idiom "dead to rights" is believed to be rooted in American English, and it has been in use since the early 20th century. It is typically used in informal or colloquial language, particularly in discussions related to law enforcement, crime, or situations involving catching someone in the act.

scam

noun

s

c

k

a

æ

m

a dishonest or illegal way of gaining money

forensics

noun

f

o

ɔ

r

e

ɛ

n

s

i

ɪ

c

k

s

the scientific techniques that help police solve crimes

to scam

Verb

s

c

k

a

æ

m

to get money from people by using dishonest or illegal methods

Congratulations! !

You learned 46 words from Lesson 8. To improve learning and review vocabulary, start practicing.

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