to take or appropriate (another's property, ideas, etc.) without permission, dishonestly,or unlawfully, esp. in a secret or surreptitious manner
2.
to get, take, or give slyly, surreptitiously, or without permission
to steal a look, to steal a kiss
3.
to take or gain insidiously or artfully
to steal someone's heart, to steal the puck in hockey
4.
to be the outstanding performer in (a scene, act, etc.), esp. in a subordinate role
5.
to move, put, carry, or convey surreptitiously or stealthily (in, into, from, away, etc.)
6. US, Baseball
to gain (a base) safely without the help of a hit, walk, or error, usually by running to it from another base while the pitch is being delivered
verb intransitive
7.
to be a thief; practice theft
8.
to move, pass, etc. stealthily, quietly, gradually, or without being noticed
9. Baseball
to steal or attempt to steal a base
noun Informal
10.
an act of stealing
11.
something stolen
12.
something obtained at a ludicrously low cost
Derived forms
stealer (ˈstealer)
noun
Word origin
ME stelen < OE stælan, akin to Ger stehlen, prob. altered < IE base *ster-, to rob > Gr sterein, to rob
More idioms containing
steal
steal someone's clothes
steal the show
steal someone's thunder
steal a march
Examples of 'steal' in a sentence
steal
There are whoops of joy when defendants accused of receiving stolen goods are freed from prison.
The Sun (2011)
He was arrested for allegedly handling stolen goods.
The Sun (2011)
The show was nearly stolen from the two captains by a former one.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
They may say the car is a steal but expect to knock them down further.
The Sun (2006)
Then they drove victims to banks to get cash or stole from their homes.
The Sun (2015)
Plants are the most stolen items followed by garden gadgets and furniture.
The Sun (2016)
What is wrong with stealing the secrets of the successful?
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
They say he made up the allegation after stealing money from them.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Now he is hoping to steal a march on his rivals for the team.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
He was acquitted of handling stolen goods.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
It was as if he were trying to steal the show in each case.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
She arrives just as a stolen car leads to a footballer suspected of playing away.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Neither the thief nor the stolen items have been found.
The Sun (2015)
He also wants more protection from rival companies which try to steal his secrets.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The man claimed he stole money to pay for his addiction to cocaine.
Christianity Today (2000)
But on his very first day a thief steals the bicycle essential for the job.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Companies are trying to steal a march on their rivals by making it easier to use their services.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
The robbers allegedly stole 2,500 in cash from him.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
To stop them fighting for good, she takes the stolen cash and sets fire to it!
The Sun (2009)
He admitted handling stolen goods and was jailed for 20 months.
The Sun (2012)
They allegedly stole a set of keys and lived in the detached three-bed home for almost a month.
The Sun (2014)
In other languages
steal
British English: steal /stiːl/ VERB
If you steal something from someone, you take it away from them without their permission and without intending to return it.
He was accused of stealing a small boy's bicycle.
The boy lied and stole.
American English: steal
Arabic: يَسْرِقُ
Brazilian Portuguese: roubar
Chinese: 偷窃
Croatian: ukrasti
Czech: ukrást
Danish: stjæle
Dutch: stelen
European Spanish: hurtar
Finnish: varastaa
French: voler dérober
German: stehlen
Greek: κλέβω
Italian: rubare
Japanese: 盗む
Korean: 훔치다
Norwegian: stjele
Polish: ukraść
European Portuguese: roubar
Romanian: a fura
Russian: красть
Latin American Spanish: hurtar
Swedish: stjäla
Thai: ลักขโมย
Turkish: çalmak
Ukrainian: красти
Vietnamese: ăn cắp
All related terms of 'steal'
steal secrets
A secret is a fact that is known by only a small number of people, and is not told to anyone else.
steal a march
to do something before someone else and so gain an advantage over them
steal the show
to get more attention or praise than the other people or things in a show or other event
steal a computer
A computer is an electronic machine that can store and deal with large amounts of information.
steal a march on
to gain an advantage over, esp by a secret or underhand enterprise
steal someone's heart
to cause someone to feel love or affection
to steal the show
If you say that someone steals the show , you mean that they get a lot of attention or praise because they perform better than anyone else in a show or other event.
steal someone's clothes
to take another person's ideas or policies and pretend that these ideas or policies are your own
steal someone's thunder
to stop someone from getting attention or praise by doing something better than them or doing something before them
steal the identity of
Your identity is who you are.
to steal someone's thunder
If you steal someone's thunder , you get the attention or praise that they thought they would get, usually by saying or doing what they had intended to say or do.
to steal a march on someone
If you steal a march on someone, you start doing something before they do it in order to gain an advantage over them.
to steal a glance steal a glance at sb/sth
If you steal a glance at someone or something, you look at them quickly so that nobody sees you looking.
Chinese translation of 'steal'
steal
(stiːl)
Word forms:ptstole
Word forms:ppstolen
vt
偷窃(竊) (tōuqiè)
vi
行窃(竊) (xíngqiè)
to steal away/out悄悄溜走 (qiāoqiāo liūzǒu)
he stole it from me他从(從)我这(這)里(裡)把它偷走了 (tā cóng wǒ zhèlǐ bǎ tā tōuzǒu le)
请勿将 rob 和 steal 混淆。 如果你 steal 某物，例如钱或车，你未经允许就将他人的物品据为己有，并且不打算归还。 My car was stolen on Friday evening. 注意，不能说某人 steal 某人，只能说 steal from 某人。某人 rob 某人或某个地方，即使用暴力将他人或某个地方的东西据为己有，并且不打算归还。 They planned to rob an old woman ... They joined forces to rob a factory.rob 后可以跟 of 加被强占的物品。 The two men were robbed of more than £700. 注意，rob 后可以直接跟被抢劫的对象，即可以说 rob 某人。
1 (verb)
Definition
to take (something) from someone without permission or unlawfully
Anybody could walk in here and steal stuff.
Synonyms
take
The burglars took just about anything they could carry.
nick (slang, mainly British)
We used to nick biscuits from the kitchen.
pinch (informal)
pickpockets who pinched his wallet
lift (informal)
a cartoonish device lifted from a Laurel and Hardy sequence
trouser (slang)
cabbage (British, slang)
swipe (slang)
People kept trying to swipe my copy of the New York Times.
knock off (slang)
half-inch (old-fashioned, slang)
heist (US, slang)
embezzle
The director embezzled $34 million in company funds.
blag (slang)
pilfer
Staff were pilfering cash from the bar.
misappropriate
I have not misappropriated any funds whatsoever.
snitch (slang)
purloin
He was caught purloining books from the library.
filch
I filched some notes from his wallet.
prig (British, slang)
shoplift
thieve
These people can't help thieving.
be light-fingered
peculate (literary)
walk or make off with
2 (verb)
Definition
to use (someone else's ideas or work) without acknowledgment
They solved the problem by stealing an idea from nature.
Synonyms
copy
take
plagiarize
He was accused of plagiarizing copyrighted material.
appropriate
What do they think about your appropriating their music and culture?
pinch (informal)
pirate
pirating copies of music tapes
poach
allegations that it had poached members from other unions
rip (computing)
3 (verb)
Definition
to move quietly and carefully, not wanting to be noticed
They can steal away at night and join us.
Synonyms
sneak
Don't sneak away and hide.
slip
She slipped downstairs and out of the house.
creep
I went back to the hotel and crept up to my room.
flit
tiptoe
slink
He couldn't just slink away.
insinuate yourself
1 (noun)
Definition
something acquired easily or at little cost
(informal)
This champagne is a steal.
Synonyms
bargain
At this price these chocolates are a bargain.
good deal
good value
good buy
snip (informal)
a snip at £74.25
giveaway
(cheap) purchase
2 (noun)
His favourite joke is a steal from the Marx Brothers.
Synonyms
rip-off (slang)
Christmas shopping is a rip-off.
theft (slang)
Art theft is now part of organized crime.
thieving
an ex-con who says he's given up thieving
pilfering
misappropriation
He was accused of misappropriation of bank funds.
purloining
thievery
Fountain pens caused much thievery in the classroom.
Additional synonyms
in the sense of appropriate
Definition
to take for one's own use without permission
What do they think about your appropriating their music and culture?
Synonyms
steal,
take,
nick (slang, British),
pocket,
trouser (slang),
pinch (informal),
pirate,
poach,
swipe (slang),
lift (informal),
knock off (slang),
heist (US, slang),
embezzle,
blag (slang),
pilfer,
misappropriate,
snitch (slang),
purloin,
filch,
plagiarize,
thieve,
peculate (literary)
in the sense of creep
Definition
to move quietly and cautiously
I went back to the hotel and crept up to my room.
Synonyms
sneak,
steal,
tiptoe,
slink,
skulk,
approach unnoticed
in the sense of embezzle
Definition
to steal (money) that belongs to the company or organization that one works for
The director embezzled $34 million in company funds.
Synonyms
misappropriate,
steal,
appropriate,
rob,
pocket,
nick (slang, British),
trouser (slang),
pinch (informal),
rip off (slang),
knock off (slang),
siphon off,
pilfer,
purloin (formal),
filch,
help yourself to,
thieve,
defalcate,
peculate
Synonyms of 'steal'
steal
Explore 'steal' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of filch
Definition
to steal in small amounts
I filched some notes from his wallet.
Synonyms
steal,
take,
thieve,
pinch (informal),
lift (informal),
nick (slang, British),
trouser (slang),
abstract,
rip off (slang),
cabbage (British, slang),
swipe (slang),
knock off (slang),
crib (informal),
half-inch (old-fashioned, slang),
embezzle,
pilfer,
walk off with,
misappropriate,
purloin (formal),
snaffle (British, informal)
in the sense of lift
Definition
to plagiarize (music or writing)
a cartoonish device lifted from a Laurel and Hardy sequence
Synonyms
steal,
take,
copy,
appropriate,
nick (slang, British),
pocket,
trouser (slang),
pinch (informal),
pirate,
cabbage (British, slang),
knock off (slang),
crib (informal),
half-inch (old-fashioned, slang),
blag (slang),
pilfer,
purloin (formal),
plagiarize,
thieve
in the sense of misappropriate
Definition
to take and use money dishonestly
I have not misappropriated any funds whatsoever.
Synonyms
steal,
embezzle,
pocket,
misuse,
knock off (slang),
swindle,
misspend,
trouser (slang),
misapply,
defalcate,
cabbage (British, slang),
peculate
in the sense of misappropriation
He was accused of misappropriation of bank funds.
Synonyms
embezzlement,
stealing,
theft,
swindling,
expropriation,
defalcation
in the sense of nick
Definition
to steal
We used to nick biscuits from the kitchen.
Synonyms
steal,
pinch (informal),
swipe (slang),
pilfer,
finger (slang),
trouser (slang),
knock off (slang),
snitch (slang)
in the sense of peculate
Definition
to embezzle (public money)
Synonyms
steal,
appropriate,
rob,
trouser (slang),
defraud,
knock off (slang),
embezzle,
pilfer,
misappropriate,
purloin (formal),
misapply,
defalcate
in the sense of pilfer
Definition
to steal (minor items) in small quantities
Staff were pilfering cash from the bar.
Synonyms
steal,
take,
rob,
lift (informal),
nick (slang, British),
appropriate,
trouser (slang),
rifle,
pinch (informal),
cabbage (British, slang),
swipe (slang),
knock off (slang),
embezzle,
blag (slang),
walk off with,
snitch (slang),
purloin,
filch,
snaffle (British, informal),
thieve
in the sense of pinch
Definition
to steal
pickpockets who pinched his wallet
Synonyms
steal,
rob,
snatch,
lift (informal),
nick (slang, British),
trouser (slang),
cabbage (British, slang),
swipe (slang),
knock off (slang),
blag (slang),
pilfer,
snitch (slang),
purloin,
filch,
snaffle (British, informal)
in the sense of pirate
Definition
to sell or reproduce (artistic work, ideas, etc.) illegally
pirating copies of music tapes
Synonyms
copy,
steal,
reproduce,
bootleg,
lift (informal),
appropriate,
borrow,
poach,
crib (informal),
plagiarize
in the sense of plagiarize
Definition
to steal ideas or passages from (another's work) and present them as one's own
He was accused of plagiarizing copyrighted material.
Synonyms
copy,
steal,
appropriate,
borrow,
pirate,
infringe,
lift (informal),
crib (informal),
thieve
Additional synonyms
in the sense of poach
Definition
to steal (an idea, employee, or player)
allegations that it had poached members from other unions
Synonyms
take,
steal,
appropriate,
snatch (informal),
nab (informal),
purloin
in the sense of purloin
Definition
to steal
He was caught purloining books from the library.
Synonyms
steal,
rob,
lift (informal),
nick (slang, British),
appropriate,
trouser (slang),
pinch (informal),
cabbage (British, slang),
swipe (slang),
knock off (slang),
blag (slang),
pilfer,
walk off with,
snitch (slang),
filch,
prig (British, slang),
snaffle (British, informal),
thieve
in the sense of slink
Definition
to move or act in a quiet and secretive way from fear or guilt
He couldn't just slink away.
Synonyms
creep,
steal,
sneak,
slip,
ghost,
prowl,
skulk,
pussyfoot (informal)
in the sense of slip
Definition
to move or pass quickly and without being noticed
She slipped downstairs and out of the house.
Synonyms
sneak,
creep,
steal,
slope,
sidle,
move stealthily,
ghost,
insinuate yourself
in the sense of snip
Definition
a bargain
a snip at £74.25
Synonyms
bargain,
steal (informal),
good buy,
giveaway
in the sense of swipe
Definition
to steal (something)
People kept trying to swipe my copy of the New York Times.
Synonyms
steal,
nick (slang, British),
pinch (informal),
lift (informal),
appropriate,
trouser (slang),
cabbage (British, slang),
knock off (slang),
make off with,
pilfer,
purloin (formal),
filch,
snaffle (British, informal)
in the sense of theft
Definition
the crime of stealing
Art theft is now part of organized crime.
Synonyms
stealing,
robbery,
thieving,
fraud,
rip-off (slang),
swindling,
embezzlement,
pilfering,
larceny,
purloining,
thievery
in the sense of thieve
Definition
to steal other people's possessions
These people can't help thieving.
Synonyms
steal,
nick (slang, British),
rob,
pinch (informal),
cabbage (British, slang),
poach,
plunder,
half-inch (old-fashioned, slang),
embezzle,
blag (slang),
pilfer,
snitch (slang),
purloin,
filch,
have sticky fingers (informal),
peculate
in the sense of thievery
Fountain pens caused much thievery in the classroom.