loot

¹ American  

[loot] / lut /

noun

1. spoils or plunder taken by pillaging, as in war.

   Synonyms:

   booty

2. anything taken by dishonesty, force, stealth, etc..

   a burglar's loot.

3. a collection of valued objects.

   The children shouted and laughed as they opened their Christmas loot.

4. Slang. money.

   You'll have a fine time spending all that loot.

5. the act of looting or plundering.

   to take part in the loot of a conquered city.

6. (in a video game) valuable items that can be claimed from a defeated enemy or cache.

   I was hoping for new armor, but this loot was pretty disappointing.

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verb (used with object)

1. to carry off or take (something) as loot.

   to loot a nation's art treasures.

2. to despoil by taking loot; plunder or pillage (a city, house, etc.), as in war.

   The invaders looted temples and shrines.

   Synonyms:

   ransack, sack

3. to rob, as by burglary or corrupt activity in public office.

   to loot the public treasury.

4. (in a video game) to collect (items from a defeated enemy or cache).

   Loot all of the bodies and treasure chests before you exit the dungeon.

verb (used without object)

1. to take loot; plunder.

   The conquerors looted and robbed.

loot ² American  

[loot] / lut /

verb

Scot.

1. simple past tense of let.

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loot British  

/ luːt /

noun

1. goods stolen during pillaging, as in wartime, during riots, etc

2. goods, money, etc, obtained illegally

3. informal money or wealth

4. the act of looting or plundering

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verb

1. to pillage (a city, settlement, etc) during war or riots

2. to steal (money or goods), esp during pillaging

Usage

What does loot mean? Loot is an informal way to collectively refer to valued goods, often ones that are newly acquired, as in That is one big pile of birthday presents—look at all that loot!This meaning of loot is an extension of its original sense, which is still used but less commonly: goods stolen during war. Close synonyms are spoils and plunder. These words and loot can also refer more generally to anything stolen or taken in a dishonest way, such as through burglary or embezzlement. Loot can also be used as a verb meaning to steal things in this way. It is most commonly used to refer to opportunistically stealing things from physical locations during chaotic situations, when police or other authorities are preoccupied, such as in the midst of war or a massive protest. It can also be used in a general or somewhat metaphorical way—crimes like embezzling government money are sometimes referred to as looting the treasury. The act of doing so is called looting, and those who do it are called looters. These terms and the verb loot are always used negatively. They’re sometimes used in a loaded way that’s intended to portray people as lawless, such as when one tries to discredit protesters by calling them rioters and looters. Example: The museum has chosen to return artifacts that were looted from other nations during antiquity.

Other Word Forms

• looter
  noun

Etymology

Origin of loot

First recorded in 1780–90; from Hindi lūṭ, from Sanskrit lotra, loptra “booty, spoil”

Explanation

Burglars and pirates handle a lot of loot — otherwise known as stolen money or goods. One bank robber might say to the other, "You watch the customers! I'm going after the loot!" Loot most often means money, especially the kind of money you didn't get legally. Loot is right up there with booty and swag in the family of words for stolen or pillaged things. When used as a verb, loot refers to the act of stealing, like when an angry mob loots the local grocery store during a riot.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

loot

“They had the time to go through the museum director’s desk and find the key. They could loot it all at their leisure.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026

Just consider what the country’s top law-enforcement agencies have been buying with their new loot.

From Slate ● Aug. 18, 2026

The UK government chose not to bring loot boxes under the Gambling Act 2005, external, saying there was no evidence of a "causative link" to harms.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

The real plaintiff goal is to loot Bayer, no matter the plain letter of the law.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026

The bowl is heaping and I tackle it with the ferocity that I think a last meal deserves—shoving it all in me as if it owes me loot.

From "It’s Kind of a Funny Story" by Ned Vizzini

Related Words

• burglarize
• grab
• gut
• pillage
• plunder
• raid
• ransack
• rob
• snatch