thief
a person who steals, especially secretly or without open force; one guilty of theft or larceny.
Origin of thief
1synonym study For thief
Other words for thief
Other words from thief
- un·der·thief, noun, plural un·der·thieves.
Words that may be confused with thief
- robber, thief (see synonym study at the current entry)
Words Nearby thief
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use thief in a sentence
The bee thieves come at night, swooping in and bugging out quicker than the wings of the insects they steal.
Bee theft is almost a perfect crime—but there’s a new sheriff in town | Andrew Zaleski | February 9, 2021 | Popular-ScienceProtestors chanted “Navalny we are with you” and “Putin is a thief!”.
'The Whole System Needs Changing.' The Russia Protests Are About More Than Just Alexei Navalny | Madeline Roache | February 5, 2021 | TimePretending to be a fur thief, he helped gather evidence leading to the indictment of 24 prison guards.
Jack Palladino, aggressive sleuth who worked for Bill Clinton campaign, dies at 76 | Harrison Smith | February 2, 2021 | Washington PostParticipants identify the word “wrong” faster when it’s preceded by a strongly associated word like “right” than when it’s preceded by a weakly related word like “thief.”
Dreaming Is Like Taking LSD - Issue 95: Escape | Antonio Zadra & Robert Stickgold | January 14, 2021 | NautilusThat’s when an idea hit him — the thief might have stolen the bike because they’re in short supply during the coronavirus pandemic.
Today in D.C.: Headlines to start your Monday in D.C., Maryland and Virginia | Teddy Amenabar, Justin Wm. Moyer | January 11, 2021 | Washington Post
Dear thief is worthy of the abused critical adjectives philosophical, atmospheric, and masterful.
Rich man, poor man, beggar man, thief, doctor, lawyer, Indian chief, and all that.
All a thief had to do was take off the dial knob on the safe and place the little joker on inside of it.
After stealing 97 rare maps, serial map thief E. Forbes Smiley III was caught in the act.
Cole was clearly experimenting with this, the signature curve of his storytelling, while writing Every Day Is for the thief.
Teju Cole’s Keen Eye Spares No One—Himself Included | Benjamin Lytal | July 9, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTHe had seen the act committed, he felt sure but had made no effort whatever to stop the thief.
The Homesteader | Oscar MicheauxWhy should not the thief have simply entered by the window of the study, which like the kitchen, was on the ground floor?
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol | William J. LockeOliver coloured involuntarily to find that the old thief had been reading his thoughts; but boldly said, Yes, he did want to know.
Oliver Twist, Vol. II (of 3) | Charles DickensThe blind man, missing his money, suspected who was the thief; but to accuse him would serve no purpose.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun; | VariousBut, as many people know, and all may believe, running in a crowded London street is difficult—even to an expert London thief.
The Garret and the Garden | R.M. Ballantyne
British Dictionary definitions for thief
/ (θiːf) /
a person who steals something from another
criminal law a person who commits theft
Origin of thief
1Derived forms of thief
- thievish, adjective
- thievishly, adverb
- thievishness, noun
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
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