掠夺

• Pinyin: lüè duó
• Hanzi breakdown: 掠 = 扌(hand radical) + 京 (phonetic); 夺 = simplified seize radical — to snatch and carry away by force

Meaning

To plunder, loot, or seize by force. Implies the violent or coercive taking of resources, property, or rights from others.

Carries strong negative moral connotations. Used in historical, economic, political, and environmental contexts. 掠夺资源 (plundering resources), 殖民掠夺 (colonial plunder), 掠夺性定价 (predatory pricing). The term implies systematic, forceful exploitation.

Examples

1. 殖民时期，列强对非洲大陆的自然资源和人力资源进行了大规模、有组织的掠夺。 During the colonial era, the great powers carried out large-scale, organized plunder of Africa’s natural resources and labor.
2. 非法采矿行为不仅掠夺了国家的矿产资源，还对当地生态环境造成了不可逆的破坏。 Illegal mining not only plunders the nation’s mineral resources but also causes irreversible damage to the local ecosystem.
3. 国际社会谴责该武装组织在占领区大肆掠夺平民财产，严重违反了国际人道主义法。 The international community condemned the armed group for looting civilians’ property in the occupied areas, a serious violation of international humanitarian law.

Usage Guide

Context: history, politics, economics, law, environment

Tone: negative

Do Say

• 帝国主义列强对中国的主权和财富进行了长达百年的掠夺，给中华民族带来了深重灾难。(The imperialist powers plundered China's sovereignty and wealth for over a century, inflicting profound suffering on the Chinese nation.)
• 监管部门严厉打击以高息借贷为名掠夺借款人财产的非法放贷行为。(Regulatory authorities are cracking down hard on illegal lending practices that use high-interest loans as a cover to plunder borrowers' assets.)

Don't Say

• 将掠夺与抢劫混淆 — 掠夺 implies large-scale, systematic, often organised plundering, frequently by powerful entities or states; 抢劫 refers to robbery by individuals or small groups in an immediate criminal act

Origin & History

掠 = 扌(hand radical) + 京 (phonetic, suggesting speed); 夺 = simplified form meaning to forcefully seize — to forcefully sweep away and take

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal