thieve
Americanverb (used with object)
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thieves,
present (3rd person singular)
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thieved,
past participle, past
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thieving
present participle
verb (used without object)
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thieves,
present (3rd person singular)
-
thieved,
past participle, past
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thieving
present participle
verb
Usage
What does thieve mean? To thieve is to steal—to commit theft. A person who thieves is a thief. The words thief and theft are often used in situations in which a person steals in secret and without using force or violence. However, the word thieve is used in the context of all kinds of thefts, even violent ones. Thieve often implies that such thieving is done habitually or as part of a criminal lifestyle. The related word thievery can mean the same thing as theft, but it typically refers to the practice of thieving—thieves lead a life of thieving and thievery. Thieve is sometimes followed by the thing that will be or has been stolen, as in I just realized my kids have been thieving the coins from the fountain. Thieve should not be confused with a form of the noun thief or its plural, thieves. Example: He is a pirate, a rogue—he thieves and plunders without remorse.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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thievesimple
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thievessimple
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have thievedperfect
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has thievedperfect
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am thievingprogressive
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are thievingprogressive
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is thievingprogressive
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have been thievingperfect progressive
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has been thievingperfect progressive
Past
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thievedsimple
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had thievedperfect
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was thievingprogressive
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were thievingprogressive
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had been thievingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of thieve
before 950; Old English thēofian, derivative of theōf thief (not recorded in ME)
Explanation
When someone steals something, they thieve. Your dog thieves when he puts his paws on the kitchen table and quietly grabs your cinnamon toast. You're more likely to encounter the adjective thieving than the verb thieve, but it's a perfectly good way to say "take illegally." Your brother might think it's perfectly acceptable to thieve a few gummy bears from the candy store where he works, although the store's owner might have a different opinion. At the root of thieve is the Old English þeof, or "thief."
Vocabulary lists containing thieve
"Riddles in the Dark"
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"To a Mouse" by Robert Burns
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The Nats have led the majors in stolen bases all season, rejecting a trend: Never risk an out — and a chance to swing for the fences — to thieve one measly base.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 27, 2019
The scouting report is out, and they start to thieve second like it’s a jewelry store with a salamander for a security guard.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 10, 2016
Four Women Simone’s interpretations of existing songs were so emphatic that other artists would often thieve her version rather than the original performer’s.
From The Guardian ● Mar. 2, 2016
The motherbirds thieve the air To appease them.
From The New Yorker ● Oct. 31, 2014
No one but Kunthi, coming stealthily by night to thieve from us what little we had, unashamed as she was and always had been.
From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya
Pinches said the thieves also broke numerous fuel sending units and fuel caps on the vehicles, resulting in lost revenue as they were out of action for a day being repaired.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026
A West Midlands haulage company has said thieves are motivated by rising fuel prices after they stole 400 litres of diesel.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026
Her backers see in her fierce loyalty and admire her eternal hunt for wage thieves to sue.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026
The Louvre heist revealed that thieves are increasingly stealing gold, bronze and jewels more than traditional paintings—a turnabout from a century ago when a thief stole its “Mona Lisa,” later recovered.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
Actual detectives like Lépine and Bertillon began to expect this sort of ingenuity from actual thieves, especially in the so-called superior, refined class of crimes.
From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day
A friend said he covered the mirrors in his home so he wouldn’t have to look at what the years had thieved.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2023
More dogs were thieved than any other pet by more than 1,000.
From BBC ● Dec. 29, 2022
You feel the presence of many, many others around you in here and you want to know who these people are who were thieved of identity when they were rendered collectibles.
From The Guardian ● Jul. 4, 2020
Timbers said, “The theatrical engine of building the whole thing just from a person with a boom box—I have certainly thieved that many times in my own work.”
From The New Yorker ● Mar. 13, 2017
As the boys ran off with the thieved chocolate, Danny zipped his backpack shut again and ate his lunch in silence while the other kids sat in groups.
From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova
“The last thing we need is a loud, water thieving, light polluting, data center anywhere near our town,” Nelson wrote late last month.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
When they aren’t thieving, bald eagles also scavenge from roadkill or help themselves to free food found in human garbage or at the town landfill.
From Slate ● Feb. 21, 2026
Julius, meanwhile, becomes a card-cheat spotter for a casino as an act of atonement for his thieving ways — it’s easy to buy Elordi’s take on ’50s rogue sensitivity.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 25, 2025
Sentencing, the district judge said: "Seemingly, even the birds are not beyond your thieving grasp. You may conceive of these as just eggs but they are protected. This was a deplorable thing to do."
From BBC ● Jan. 15, 2024
“You carried off one of my stockings last night, and you are a thieving cad, and I hope Mrs. Dudley can hear me.”
From "The Haunting of Hill House" by Shirley Jackson
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