thief

[ theef ]

noun

, plural thieves.

1. a person who steals, especially secretly or without open force; one guilty of theft or larceny.

   Synonyms: highwayman, pickpocket, burglar

thief

/ θiːf /

noun

1. a person who steals something from another
2. criminal law a person who commits theft

Derived Forms

• ˈthievishness, noun
• ˈthievishly, adverb
• ˈthievish, adjective

Other Words From

• under·thief noun plural underthieves

Word History and Origins

Origin of thief¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English thēof; cognate with Dutch dief, German Dieb, Old Norse thjōfr, Gothic thiufs

Word History and Origins

Origin of thief¹

Old English thēof; related to Old Frisian thiāf, Old Saxon thiof, Old High German diob, Old Norse thjōfr, Gothic thiufs

Synonym Study

Thief, robber refer to one who steals. A thief takes the goods or property of another by stealth without the latter's knowledge: like a thief in the night. A robber trespasses upon the house, property, or person of another, and makes away with things of value, even at the cost of violence: A robber held up two women on the street.

Example Sentences

"I knew straight away that they decided I was a thief," he said.

From BBC

And if your bike is one of those, there's little chance of you either getting it back - or of the thief being caught.

From BBC

Turner currently stars as diamond thief Joan Hannington in the ITV1 series “Joan,” wrapped production for the thriller “Trust” and is even circling the lead role of Lara Croft in Amazon’s “Tomb Raider” live-action series, according to Deadline.

From Los Angeles Times

"Not for a minute do I believe it was the thief that returned it because if they were sick enough to steal it from where it was I don't think they had a conscience," he said.

From BBC

The thief made off with a duffel bag full of firearms after spending hours digging a hole through the wall.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• bandit
• burglar
• criminal
• crook
• mugger
• pickpocket
• pirate
• robber
• sniper
• swindler