rob

¹

[rob]

verb (used with object)

robbed, robbing 

1. to take something from (someone) by unlawful force or threat of violence; steal from.

2. to deprive (someone) of some right or something legally due.

   They robbed her of her inheritance.

   Synonyms: cheat, defraud

3. to plunder or rifle (a house, shop, etc.).

4. to deprive of something unjustly or injuriously.

   The team was robbed of a home run hitter when the umpire called it a foul ball. The shock robbed him of his speech.

5. Mining.,  to remove ore or coal from (a pillar).

verb (used without object)

robbed, robbing 

1. to commit or practice robbery.

Rob

²

[rob]

noun

1. a male given name, form of Robert.

rob

/ rɒb /

verb

1. (tr) to take something from (someone) illegally, as by force or threat of violence

2. to plunder (a house, shop, etc)

3. (tr) to deprive unjustly

   to be robbed of an opportunity

Other Word Forms

• unrobbed adjective
• robber noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of rob¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English robben, from Old French robber, from Germanic; compare Old High German roubōn. See reave ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of rob¹

C13: from Old French rober , of Germanic origin; compare Old High German roubōn to rob

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. rob Peter to pay Paul, to take something from one person or thing to pay one's debt or hypothetical debt to another, as to sacrifice one's health by overworking.

Synonym Study

Rob, rifle, sack refer to seizing possessions that belong to others. Rob is the general word for taking possessions by unlawful force or violence: to rob a bank, a house, a train. A term with a more restricted meaning is rifle, to make a thorough search for what is valuable or worthwhile, usually within a small space: to rifle a safe. On the other hand, sack is a term for robbery on a huge scale during war; it suggests destruction accompanying pillage, and often includes the indiscriminate massacre of civilians: to sack a town or district.

Example Sentences

He liked Honore, despite the man’s chosen profession; the brutal manner of his death inspires Maigret to pursue his killer, rather than the team that has been robbing Paris banks with apparent impunity.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

The recent government shutdown has for now robbed officials of the economic data releases that could reconcile any disagreements.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

CEO Sophie Livingstone said increasing winter costs were "robbing parents of sleep and peace of mind," and she urged people to donate "before the cold sets in."

Read more on BBC

The 44-year-old's bank cards, driving licence and phone were taken when he was attacked and robbed last year.

Read more on BBC

Gein ultimately confessed to murdering Hogan and Worden and robbing more than 40 graves, though he denied cannibalism and necrophilia claims.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• bereave 
• break into 
• cheat 
• defraud 
• divest 
• hijack 
• loot 
• lose 
• mug 
• plunder 
• raid 
• ransack 
• strip 

When To Use

What does rob mean?

To rob is to steal, especially by force or through threats of violence.A person who robs is called a robber, and the act of robbing is called robbery.A robber can rob a person or a place, such as a house or business. The act of robbing a person on the street is often called mugging. The act of robbing a bank is called bank robbery and a person who does it is called a bank robber. Armed robbery involves robbing a person or place while armed with a weapon.Rob and steal are often used interchangeably in terms of their general meaning, but their use within a sentence often differs. The word rob often focuses on the victim of the theft (whether it’s a person or a place), whereas steal often focuses on what has been stolen. So you can rob a bank, a person, or a house, whereas you steal money, diamonds, or cars. A bank robber doesn’t steal banks (unless they’re Carmen Sandiego, maybe)—they steal money from banks.However, the word rob is sometimes followed by the word of and the thing that’s been taken, as in She robbed me of thousands of dollars! The word rob can also be used in a kind of figurative way meaning to unfairly deprive someone of something, especially something abstract or intangible. If someone prevents you from doing something, you can say they robbed you of the chance to do it. Death is said to rob us of our loved ones. If someone loses a competition not because they were fairly defeated but because of some technicality, they might say “I was robbed!”Unrelatedly, the name Rob is short for Robert.Example: The suspect is accused of robbing seven banks during a three-month period.