sabotage
SAB-uh-tahzh
/ˈsæbətɑːʒ/
Deliberately destroy, damage, or obstruct (something), especially for political or military advantage; the act of doing so.
Implies intentional damage or obstruction, often covertly, to hinder an enemy or opponent, rather than direct attack.
The story behind the word. The word 'sabotage' comes from the French verb 'saboter', which originally meant 'to botch' or 'to make a noise with sabots'. 'Sabots' were wooden shoes worn by peasants and workers. One popular, though perhaps apocryphal, theory is that disgruntled workers would throw their wooden shoes into machinery to damage it during early industrialization. While the exact origin is debated, the image of clumsy, destructive action with wooden shoes stuck, giving us the word for deliberate destruction.
Word relationships
- vandalism: Destruction of property, often without a specific strategic or political motive, unlike sabotage.
- disrupt: To interrupt or impede, but 'sabotage' implies deliberate, often destructive, action to disrupt.
- undermine: To weaken gradually, often indirectly, while 'sabotage' is more direct and often involves physical damage.
- assist: To help or support.
- build: To construct or create.
- repair: To fix or restore.
Word family
- saboteur (noun): A person who commits sabotage.
Collocations
- industrial sabotage
- act of sabotage
- prevent sabotage
- economic sabotage
Example sentences
- "Resistance fighters managed to sabotage the enemy's railway lines, disrupting their supply chain for weeks." Describing wartime actions.
- "There were accusations that a rival company tried to sabotage their product launch by spreading false rumors." In a business context.
- "The investigation concluded that the factory fire was an act of deliberate sabotage, not an accident." As a noun.
Memory hook
Imagine someone wearing 'SABOTS' (wooden shoes) clumsily or intentionally damaging (sabotaging) machinery. Wooden Shoe Destruction
When not to use
Do not use 'sabotage' for accidental damage or destruction. It always implies deliberate intent.
Fun facts
- The theory about workers throwing sabots into machines is widely known, but linguistic historians suggest 'saboter' more likely evolved from the idea of 'clumsy work' or 'making a racket'.
Related words
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.