Synonyms

pilfer

American

[pil-fer] / ˈpɪl fər /

verb (used with or without object)

to steal, especially in small quantities.

Synonyms:

appropriate, filch, purloin, thieve

pilfer British

/ ˈpɪlfə /

verb

to steal (minor items), esp in small quantities

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

pilferer noun
pilfering noun
unpilfered adjective

Etymology

Origin of pilfer

1540–50; v. use of late Middle English pilfre booty < Middle French pelfre. See pelf

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Slowly, painfully, he realizes they are miserable not because of one another but because they are poor, a hardship he has been quietly worsening by pilfering their stores.

From Salon

Instead of using the financing for the benefit of the company, James “secretly pilfered some of the company’s assets to fund his and his family’s lavish lifestyle,” the complaint alleges.

From The Wall Street Journal

Nick Frost pilfered two Lions line-outs as they turned the screw.

From BBC

The merchants, many of whom are based in L.A., have been locked in a yearslong legal battle with Brink’s over the value of their pilfered goods.

From Los Angeles Times

From pilfering chips to swallowing whole starfish, gulls are known for their voracious appetites.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023