hijack

You probably first think of airplanes when you hear the word "hijack," but it does not always involve planes. To hijack something is to take control of it, usually by force or by threatening people. Someone might hijack a bus or a truck and make it go somewhere else. You can also "hijack" a conversation by taking it over and pushing it toward the topic you want. The idea is that something gets interrupted and forced away from its original path or purpose.

The word "hijack" is most strongly linked with taking control of a vehicle, especially an airplane, by force and making it go to a different place. In that classic sense, a person hijacks a plane, bus, truck, or ship by seizing control and forcing the driver or crew to obey. The act is usually criminal and often includes threats, weapons, or demands such as money or safe passage. This is the meaning many learners meet first because it appears so often in news stories and films.

However, "hijack" is also used in a wider, more figurative way. It can describe taking over something and pulling it away from its original purpose. For example, a speaker might "hijack" a meeting by talking so much that nobody else gets a chance to contribute. A political group might "hijack" a public debate and push it toward a different issue. In technology, people also use the word when control of a computer, browser, account, or signal is taken without permission.

The key idea in "hijack" is *forceful takeover and redirection*. It is not just changing plans or joining in. It means seizing control in a way that goes against the wishes of the people involved or against the original course of events. Because of that, the word almost always sounds negative and suggests something unlawful, harmful, or unfair.