Standard Lemma guide

kleptomaniac

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˌklɛptəˈmeɪniæk/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -eɪniæk
  • CMU ARPABET: K L EH2 P T AH0 M EY1 N IY0 AE0 K Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

One who steals compulsively.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

someone with an irrational urge to steal in the absence of an economic motive

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: appropriator

History

Etymology

From Ancient Greek κλέπτω (kléptō, “I steal”) (from Proto-Hellenic *klépťō, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *klep-) + -maniac.

Across languages

Translations

22 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: cleptòman — One who steals compulsively
  • Chinese Mandarin: 偷竊狂 /偷窃狂 (tōuqièkuáng) — One who steals compulsively
  • Czech: kleptoman — One who steals compulsively
  • Danish: kleptoman — One who steals compulsively
  • Dutch: kleptomaan — One who steals compulsively
  • Dutch: kleptomane — One who steals compulsively
  • Estonian: kleptomaan — One who steals compulsively
  • Finnish: kleptomaani — One who steals compulsively
  • French: kleptomane — One who steals compulsively
  • German: Kleptoman — One who steals compulsively
  • German: Kleptomanin — One who steals compulsively
  • Greek: κλεπτομανής (kleptomanís) — One who steals compulsively
  • Hungarian: kleptomániás — One who steals compulsively
  • Italian: cleptomane — One who steals compulsively
  • Norwegian Bokmål: kleptoman — One who steals compulsively
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: kleptoman — One who steals compulsively
  • Portuguese: cleptomaníaco — One who steals compulsively
  • Russian: клептома́н (kleptomán) — One who steals compulsively
  • Russian: клептома́нка (kleptománka) — One who steals compulsively
  • Spanish: cleptómano — One who steals compulsively
  • Swedish: kleptoman — One who steals compulsively
  • Tamil: அணிச்சைத் திருடர் (aṇiccait tiruṭar) — One who steals compulsively