noun
Meaning 1
One who carries out a theft.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
thief
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.
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/ˈθiːf/
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[ˈθɪi̯f]
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US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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rhymes with -iːf
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CMU ARPABET: TH IY1 F Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
noun
Meaning 2
One who steals another person's property, especially by stealth and without using force or violence.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 3
A waster in the snuff of a candle.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 4
a criminal who takes property belonging to someone else with the intention of keeping it or selling it
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: stealer
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: criminal, felon, crook, outlaw, malefactor
Narrower terms: bandit, brigand, booster, shoplifter, lifter, burglar, dacoit, dakoit, embezzler, defalcator, peculator, graverobber, ghoul, body snatcher, holdup man, stickup man, larcenist, larcener, pickpocket, cutpurse, dip, plagiarist, plagiarizer, plagiariser, literary pirate, pirate, plunderer, pillager, looter, spoiler, despoiler, raider, freebooter, robber, rustler, cattle thief, safebreaker, safecracker, cracksman, snatcher, sneak thief, pilferer, snitcher
History
Etymology
From Middle English thef, theef, þef, from Old English þēof, from Proto-West Germanic *þeub, from Proto-Germanic *þeubaz.
Across languages
Translations
361 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Abkhaz: аӷьычҩы (ağjəčjwə) — one who carries out theft
- Afrikaans: dief — one who carries out theft
- Albanian: vjedhës — one who carries out theft
- Albanian: vjedhëse — one who carries out theft
- Southern Altai: уур (uur) — one who carries out theft
- Amharic: ሌባ (leba) — one who carries out theft
- Arabic: لِصّ (liṣṣ) — one who carries out theft
- Arabic: لِصَّة (liṣṣa) — one who carries out theft
- Arabic: سَارِق (sāriq) — one who carries out theft
- Arabic: سَارِقَة (sāriqa) — one who carries out theft
- Arabic: حَرَامِيّ (ḥarāmiyy) — one who carries out theft
- Arabic: حَرَامِيَّة (ḥarāmiyya) — one who carries out theft
- Arabic: حرامى (ḥarāmi) — one who carries out theft
- Arabic: بايق (bāyeg) — one who carries out theft
- Arabic: حرامي (ḥarāmi) — one who carries out theft
- Arabic: سَرَّاق (sarrāg) — one who carries out theft
- Arabic: سراق (sarrāq) — one who carries out theft
- Arabic: شفار (šaffār) — one who carries out theft
- Aragonese: furtaire — one who carries out theft
- Aramaic: ܓܢܒܐ (gannāβā, gannoβo) — one who carries out theft
- Aramaic: ܓܢܒܬܐ (gannāβθā, gannoβθo) — one who carries out theft
- Archi: цӏогьор (cʼohor) — one who carries out theft
- Armenian: գող (goġ) — one who carries out theft
- Aromanian: fur — one who carries out theft
- Aromanian: furcudar — one who carries out theft
- Aromanian: haramiu — one who carries out theft
- Aromanian: chisãgi — one who carries out theft
- Aromanian: caceac — one who carries out theft
- Assamese: চোৰ (sür) — one who carries out theft
- Asturian: lladrón — one who carries out theft
- Avar: цӏогьор (cʼohor) — one who carries out theft
- Azerbaijani: oğru — one who carries out theft
- Baluchi: دز — one who carries out theft
- Bashkir: бур (bur) — one who carries out theft
- Bashkir: уғры (uğrı) — one who carries out theft
- Bashkir: ҡараҡ (qaraq) — one who carries out theft
- Basque: lapur — one who carries out theft
- Basque: ebasle — one who carries out theft
- Belarusian: зло́дзей (zlódzjej) — one who carries out theft
- Belarusian: зладзе́йка (zladzjéjka) — one who carries out theft
- Bengali: চোর (cōr) — one who carries out theft
- Central Bikol: paraikit — one who carries out theft
- Breton: laer — one who carries out theft
- Bulgarian: краде́ц (kradéc) — one who carries out theft
- Bulgarian: арами́я (aramíja) — one who carries out theft
- Bulgarian: арами́йка (aramíjka) — one who carries out theft
- Burmese: သူခိုး (suhkui:) — one who carries out theft
- Catalan: lladre — one who carries out theft
- Cebuano: kawatan — one who carries out theft
- Chakma: 𑄌𑄪𑄢𑄴 (cur) — one who carries out theft
- Chamicuro: ma'koleti — one who carries out theft
- Chechen: къу (qʼu) — one who carries out theft
- Cherokee: ᎦᏃᏍᎩᏍᎩ (ganosgisgi) — one who carries out theft
- Chichewa: wákúbá — one who carries out theft
- Chichewa: nkhumbzi — one who carries out theft
- Chichewa: mbala — one who carries out theft
- Chichewa: mnkhungu — one who carries out theft
- Chinese Cantonese: 賊 /贼 — one who carries out theft
- Chinese: зый (zɨy) — one who carries out theft
- Chinese: вэзый (vezɨy) — one who carries out theft
- Gan Chinese: 賊 /贼 (cet7) — one who carries out theft
- Hakka Chinese: 賊仔 /贼仔 (chhe̍t-é) — one who carries out theft
- Chinese: 賊仔 /贼仔 (zh-min-nan) — one who carries out theft
- Chinese: 勍仔 (zh-min-nan) — one who carries out theft
- Chinese Mandarin: 賊 /贼 (zéi) — one who carries out theft
- Chinese Mandarin: 盜賊 /盗贼 (dàozéi) — one who carries out theft
- Chinese Mandarin: 小偷 (xiǎotōu) — one who carries out theft
- Chinese Mandarin: 宵小 (xiāoxiǎo) — one who carries out theft
- Chinese Mandarin: 竊賊 /窃贼 (qièzéi) — one who carries out theft
- Northern Min Chinese: 賊 /贼 (chā̤) — one who carries out theft
- Wu Chinese: 賊骨頭 /贼骨头 — one who carries out theft
- Wu Chinese: 賊 /贼 (8zeq) — one who carries out theft
- Chuvash: вӑрӑ (vără) — one who carries out theft
- Cimbrian: diip — one who carries out theft
- Ngazidja Comorian: mwidzi — one who carries out theft
- Cornish: lader — one who carries out theft
- Cornish: ladres — one who carries out theft
- Corsican: latru — one who carries out theft
- Czech: zloděj — one who carries out theft
- Czech: zlodějka — one who carries out theft
- Danish: tyv — one who carries out theft
- Danish: tyveknægt — one who carries out theft
- Dutch: dief — one who carries out theft
- Dutch: dievegge — one who carries out theft
- Dutch: gannef — one who carries out theft
- Egyptian: a-V4-A-i-i-A24 (ꜥwꜣy) — one who carries out theft
- Egyptian: i-TA-A-D51:D40-A1 (jṯꜣ) — one who carries out theft
- Esperanto: ŝtelisto — one who carries out theft
- Estonian: varas — one who carries out theft
- Ewe: fiafi — one who carries out theft
- Ewe: fiafitɔ — one who carries out theft
- Faroese: tjóvur — one who carries out theft
- Finnish: varas — one who carries out theft
- Finnish: voro — one who carries out theft
- Finnish: ryöväri — one who carries out theft
- Finnish: rosvo — one who carries out theft
- Franco-Provençal: lârro — one who carries out theft
- French: voleur — one who carries out theft
- French: voleuse — one who carries out theft
- North Frisian: tiif — one who carries out theft
- Friulian: lari — one who carries out theft
- Galician: ladrón — one who carries out theft
- Galician: lespio — one who carries out theft
- Galician: galafate — one who carries out theft
- Galician: ladroeiro — one who carries out theft
- Galician: gallofo — one who carries out theft
- Galician: regatiñeiro — one who carries out theft
- Galician: surpón — one who carries out theft
- Georgian: ქურდი (kurdi) — one who carries out theft
- German: Dieb — one who carries out theft
- German: Diebin — one who carries out theft
- Gothic: 𐌷𐌻𐌹𐍆𐍄𐌿𐍃 (hliftus) — one who carries out theft
- Gothic: 𐌸𐌹𐌿𐍆𐍃 (þiufs) — one who carries out theft
- Greek: κλέφτης (kléftis) — one who carries out theft
- Ancient Greek: κλέπτης (kléptēs) — one who carries out theft
- Ancient Greek: κλώψ (klṓps) — one who carries out theft
- Ancient Greek: φώρ (phṓr) — one who carries out theft
- Gujarati: દસ્યુ (dasyu) — one who carries out theft
- Hebrew: גַּנָּב (ganáv) — one who carries out theft
- Hiligaynon: kawatan — one who carries out theft
- Hindi: चोर (cor) — one who carries out theft
- Hindi: दुज़्द (duzd) — one who carries out theft
- Hindi: दुज्द (dujd) — one who carries out theft
- Hindi: सारिक़ (sāriq) — one who carries out theft
- Hindi: सारिक (sārik) — one who carries out theft
- Hindi: सारिक़ा (sāriqā) — one who carries out theft
- Hindi: सारिका (sārikā) — one who carries out theft
- Hungarian: tolvaj — one who carries out theft
- Icelandic: þjófur — one who carries out theft
- Ido: furtanto — one who carries out theft
- Ilocano: mannanakaw — one who carries out theft
- Indonesian: pencuri — one who carries out theft
- Ingrian: varas — one who carries out theft
- Ingush: къу (qʼu) — one who carries out theft
- Irish: gadaí — one who carries out theft
- Isoko: oji — one who carries out theft
- Istriot: laro — one who carries out theft
- Italian: ladro — one who carries out theft
- Italian: ladra — one who carries out theft
- Italian: ladruncolo — one who carries out theft
- Italian: borsaiolo — one who carries out theft
- Italian: scippatore — one who carries out theft
- Italian: mariolo — one who carries out theft
- Italian: taccheggiatore — one who carries out theft
- Italian: malandrino — one who carries out theft
- Italian: borseggiatore — one who carries out theft
- Japanese: 泥棒 (dorobō) — one who carries out theft
- Japanese: 盗賊 (tōzoku) — one who carries out theft
- Japanese: 窃盗者 (settō-sha) — one who carries out theft
- Javanese: maling — one who carries out theft
- Javanese: bajingan — one who carries out theft
- Kalmyk: хулхач (xulxaç) — one who carries out theft
- Kannada: ಕಳ್ಳ (kaḷḷa) — one who carries out theft
- Kashmiri: ژوٗر (ċūr) — one who carries out theft
- Kazakh: ұры (ūry) — one who carries out theft
- Khmer: ចោរ (cao) — one who carries out theft
- Kikuyu: mũici — one who carries out theft
- Kituba: muyibi — one who carries out theft
- Komi-Permyak: гусь (guś) — one who carries out theft
- Kongo: mwivi — one who carries out theft
- Korean: 도둑 (doduk) — one who carries out theft
- Korean: 도적 (dojeok) — one who carries out theft
- Central Kurdish: دز (diz) — one who carries out theft
- Northern Kurdish: diz — one who carries out theft
- Northern Kurdish: dizîker — one who carries out theft
- Kyrgyz: ууру (uuru) — one who carries out theft
- Ladin: lère — one who carries out theft
- Ladino: לאד׳רון — one who carries out theft
- Ladino: ladrón — one who carries out theft
- Ladino: ladhron — one who carries out theft
- Lao: ກະໂມຽ (ka mōi) — one who carries out theft
- Lao: ຂະໂມຍ (kha mōi) — one who carries out theft
- Lao: ໂຈນ (chōn) — one who carries out theft
- Latin: fūr — one who carries out theft
- Latin: latro — one who carries out theft
- Latvian: zaglis — one who carries out theft
- Latvian: zagle — one who carries out theft
- Laz: mamxire — one who carries out theft
- Lezgi: угъри (uġri) — one who carries out theft
- Ligurian: laddro — one who carries out theft
- Lingala: moyibi — one who carries out theft
- Lingala: moibi — one who carries out theft
- Lithuanian: vagis — one who carries out theft
- Lithuanian: vagė — one who carries out theft
- Livonian: salāj — one who carries out theft
- Lombard: lader — one who carries out theft
- Low German: Deef — one who carries out theft
- Luxembourgish: Déif — one who carries out theft
- Macedonian: крадец (kradec) — one who carries out theft
- Macedonian: крадачка (kradačka) — one who carries out theft
- Macedonian: арамија (aramija) — one who carries out theft
- Macedonian: арамијка (aramijka) — one who carries out theft
- Malagasy: kary — one who carries out theft
- Malagasy: fangalarina — one who carries out theft
- Malay: pencuri — one who carries out theft
- Malayalam: കള്ളൻ (kaḷḷaṉ) — one who carries out theft
- Malayalam: മോഷ്ടാവ് (mōṣṭāvŭ) — one who carries out theft
- Maltese: ħalliel — one who carries out theft
- Māori: kaiā — one who carries out theft
- Māori: tāhae — one who carries out theft
- Māori: whānako — one who carries out theft
- Mapudungun: weñefe — one who carries out theft
- Marathi: चोर (cor) — one who carries out theft
- Middle English: thef — one who carries out theft
- Mirandese: lhadron — one who carries out theft
- Mongolian: хулгайч (xulgajč) — one who carries out theft
- Mongolian: хулгай (xulgaj) — one who carries out theft
- Mongolian: ᠬᠤᠯᠠᠭᠠᠢᠢᠴᠢ (qulaɣaiiči) — one who carries out theft
- Mongolian: ᠬᠤᠯᠠᠭᠠᠢ (qulaɣai) — one who carries out theft
- Mwani: mwivi — one who carries out theft
- Nanai: чово (čowo) — one who carries out theft
- Navajo: aniʼįįhii — one who carries out theft
- Neapolitan: latro — one who carries out theft
- Neapolitan: mariuólo — one who carries out theft
- Neapolitan: mariunciéllo — one who carries out theft
- Neapolitan: ferraiuólo — one who carries out theft
- Neapolitan: màneco 'ancino — one who carries out theft
- Nepali: चोर (cor) — one who carries out theft
- Ngombe (Congo): moibi — one who carries out theft
- Nigerian Pidgin: tiff — one who carries out theft
- Norman: voleux — one who carries out theft
- Norwegian Bokmål: tyv — one who carries out theft
- Norwegian Bokmål: tjuv — one who carries out theft
- Norwegian Nynorsk: tjuv — one who carries out theft
- Occitan: raubaire — one who carries out theft
- Occitan: raubaira — one who carries out theft
- Occitan: laire — one who carries out theft
- Occitan: laira — one who carries out theft
- Odia: ଚୋର (cora) — one who carries out theft
- Ojibwe: gimoodishk — one who carries out theft
- Church Slavic: татъ (tatŭ) — one who carries out theft
- Church Slavic: зълодѣи (zŭloděi) — one who carries out theft
- Old English: þēof — one who carries out theft
- Old Norse: þjófr — one who carries out theft
- Oromo: hattuu — one who carries out theft
- Pannonian Rusyn: крадош (kradoš) — one who carries out theft
- Pannonian Rusyn: крадошка (kradoška) — one who carries out theft
- Pashto: غل (ǧal) — one who carries out theft
- Dari: دُزْد (duzd) — one who carries out theft
- Iranian Persian: دُزْد (dozd) — one who carries out theft
- Iranian Persian: حَرامی (harâmi) — one who carries out theft
- Iranian Persian: سارِق (sâreġ) — one who carries out theft
- Phoenician: 𐤀𐤂𐤓𐤃 (ʾgrd) — one who carries out theft
- Piedmontese: làder — one who carries out theft
- Polish: złodziej — one who carries out theft
- Polish: złodziejka — one who carries out theft
- Portuguese: ladrão — one who carries out theft
- Portuguese: ladra — one who carries out theft
- Punjabi: ਚੋਰ (cor) — one who carries out theft
- Quechua: suwa — one who carries out theft
- Rohingya: sur — one who carries out theft
- Romagnol: lêdar — one who carries out theft
- Romani: ćor — one who carries out theft
- Romanian: hoț — one who carries out theft
- Romanian: hoață — one who carries out theft
- Romansh: lader — one who carries out theft
- Romansh: leder — one who carries out theft
- Russian: вор (vor) — one who carries out theft
- Russian: воро́вка (voróvka) — one who carries out theft
- Russian: ворю́га (vorjúga) — one who carries out theft
- Russian: вори́шка (voríška) — one who carries out theft
- Sanskrit: चोर (cora) — one who carries out theft
- Sanskrit: चोरी (corī) — one who carries out theft
- Scots: thief — one who carries out theft
- Scottish Gaelic: mèirleach — one who carries out theft
- Serbo-Croatian: ло́пов — one who carries out theft
- Serbo-Croatian: та̏т — one who carries out theft
- Serbo-Croatian: кра̀дљивац — one who carries out theft
- Serbo-Croatian: хара̀мија — one who carries out theft
- Serbo-Croatian: lópov — one who carries out theft
- Serbo-Croatian: tȁt — one who carries out theft
- Serbo-Croatian: kràdljivac — one who carries out theft
- Serbo-Croatian: haràmija — one who carries out theft
- Sicilian: latru — one who carries out theft
- Sicilian: latruni — one who carries out theft
- Sicilian: larruni — one who carries out theft
- Sidamo: mooraancho — one who carries out theft
- Sikkimese: རྐུན་ཅན (rkun can) — one who carries out theft
- Sinhalese: හොරා (horā) — one who carries out theft
- Slovak: zlodej — one who carries out theft
- Slovak: zlodejka — one who carries out theft
- Slovene: tat — one who carries out theft
- Slovene: tatica — one who carries out theft
- Somali: tuug — one who carries out theft
- Lower Sorbian: złoźej — one who carries out theft
- Upper Sorbian: paduch — one who carries out theft
- Spanish: ladrón — one who carries out theft
- Spanish: caco — one who carries out theft
- Spanish: chorizo — one who carries out theft
- Spanish: mangante — one who carries out theft
- Spanish: amigo de lo ajeno — one who carries out theft
- Spanish: chori — one who carries out theft
- Spanish: shacador — one who carries out theft
- Spanish: chorifaite — one who carries out theft
- Sundanese: maling — one who carries out theft
- Svan: ქუ̂ით (kûit) — one who carries out theft
- Swahili: mwizi — one who carries out theft
- Swahili: mnyang'anyi class I/II — one who carries out theft
- Swedish: tjuv — one who carries out theft
- Tabasaran: угъри (uġri) — one who carries out theft
- Tagalog: magnanakaw — one who carries out theft
- Tajik: дузд (duzd) — one who carries out theft
- Tajik: сориқ (soriq) — one who carries out theft
- Talysh: دزد (dəzd) — one who carries out theft
- Tamil: திருடன் (tiruṭaṉ) — one who carries out theft
- Tamil: திருடி (tiruṭi) — one who carries out theft
- Tamil: திருடர் (tiruṭar) — one who carries out theft
- Tamil: கள்ளன் (kaḷḷaṉ) — one who carries out theft
- Tamil: கள்ளி (kaḷḷi) — one who carries out theft
- Tamil: கள்ளர் (kaḷḷar) — one who carries out theft
- Taos: tràmpiʼína — one who carries out theft
- Tatar: карак (qaraq) — one who carries out theft
- Telugu: దొంగ (doṅga) — one who carries out theft
- Thai: ขโมย (kà-mooi) — one who carries out theft
- Thai: โจร (joon) — one who carries out theft
- Tibetan: རྐུ་མ (rku ma) — one who carries out theft
- Tocharian B: lyak — one who carries out theft
- Tok Pisin: raskol — one who carries out theft
- Turkish: hırsız — one who carries out theft
- Turkish: uğru — one who carries out theft
- Turkish: kuldur — one who carries out theft
- Turkish: karak — one who carries out theft
- Turkish: harami — one who carries out theft
- Ottoman Turkish: اوغری (oğrı) — one who carries out theft
- Ottoman Turkish: خرسز (hırsız) — one who carries out theft
- Ottoman Turkish: حرامی (harami) — one who carries out theft
- Turkmen: ogry — one who carries out theft
- Tuvan: оор (oor) — one who carries out theft
- Ukrainian: зло́дій (zlódij) — one who carries out theft
- Ukrainian: зло́дійка (zlódijka) — one who carries out theft
- Ukrainian: краді́й (kradíj) — one who carries out theft
- Ukrainian: краді́йка (kradíjka) — one who carries out theft
- Urdu: چور (cor) — one who carries out theft
- Urdu: دُزْد (duzd) — one who carries out theft
- Urdu: سارِق (sāriq) — one who carries out theft
- Urdu: سارِقَہ (sāriqa) — one who carries out theft
- Uyghur: ئوغرى (oghri) — one who carries out theft
- Uzbek: oʻgʻri — one who carries out theft
- Uzbek: duzd — one who carries out theft
- Venetan: laro — one who carries out theft
- Venetan: ladro — one who carries out theft
- Venetan: ladron — one who carries out theft
- Vietnamese: kẻ trộm — one who carries out theft
- Vietnamese: kẻ cắp — one who carries out theft
- Vietnamese: kẻ ăn trộm — one who carries out theft
- Vilamovian: dīb — one who carries out theft
- Volapük: tifan — one who carries out theft
- Volapük: hitifan — one who carries out theft
- Volapük: jitifan — one who carries out theft
- Walloon: voleu — one who carries out theft
- Walloon: voleuse — one who carries out theft
- Walloon: volresse — one who carries out theft
- Waray-Waray: buyon — one who carries out theft
- Welsh: lleidr — one who carries out theft
- Woiwurrung: be at tangi — one who carries out theft
- Yao (Africa): jwawiyi class 1 — one who carries out theft
- Yiddish: גנבֿ (ganev) — one who carries out theft
- Yiddish: גנבֿטע (ganevte) — one who carries out theft
- Yucatec Maya: ookol — one who carries out theft
- Zazaki: tırıter — one who carries out theft
- Zazaki: xırxız — one who carries out theft
Real reading context