hijack

/ˌhaɪˈdʒæk/

/ˈhaɪdʒæk/

Other forms: hijacked; hijacking; hijacks

To hijack a vehicle is to take control of it by force. Chances are you've seen an action movie in which some villains hijack a car or plane.

To hijack a vehicle is to take it over illegally. Such a crime is called a hijack or a hijacking. Hijack can be used more generally to mean “take over.” If your friend has a bad habit of interrupting other people to talk about himself, you can say that he tends to hijack the conversation.

Definitions of hijack

1. verb

   take arbitrarily or by force
   synonyms: commandeer, highjack, pirate

   types:

   skyjack

   subject an aircraft to air piracy

   carjack

   take someone's car from him by force, usually with the intention of stealing it

   type of:

   seize

   take or capture by force
2. verb

   seize control of
   “they hijacked the judicial process”

   type of:

   arrogate, assume, seize, take over, usurp

   seize and take control without authority and possibly with force; take as one's right or possession
3. noun

   seizure of a vehicle in transit either to rob it or divert it to an alternate destination
   synonyms: highjack

   types:

   carjacking

   the violent theft of an occupied car

   type of:

   crime, criminal offence, criminal offense, law-breaking, offence, offense

   (criminal law) an act punishable by law; usually considered an evil act