thief
[noun]
Synonyms: robber, burglar, embezzler, housebreaker, pickpocket, pilferer, plunderer, shoplifter, stealer

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Related Words: burglar, cat burglar, cat man, housebreaker, hijacker, robber, booster, dip, lifter, shoplifter, nip, pickpocket

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English Thesaurus: criminal, offender, crook, felon, the culprit, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

thief /θiːf/ noun (plural thieves /θiːvz/) [countable]
[Language: Old English; Origin: theof]
someone who steals things from another person or place ⇒ theft, burglar, robber:
Thieves broke into the offices and stole $150,000's worth of computer equipment.
a car/jewel etc thief
They were nothing but petty thieves (=thieves who steal small things).
⇒ be (as) thick as thieves at thick¹(12)

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

thief
noun
ADJ. would-be The alarm is usually sufficient to deter a would-be thief.
common, petty | professional | casual, opportunist | sneak | car, jewel, etc.
QUANT. gang
VERB + THIEF catch
THIEF + VERB take sth, snatch sth, steal sth A thief snatched her handbag containing her wages.
escape with sth, get away with sth, make off with sth | break in | strike The thief struck while the family were out.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

criminal someone who is involved in illegal activities or has been proved guilty of a crime. Criminal is used especially about someone who often does things that are illegal:
Criminals are stealing people's credit card details off the Internet.
He is one of the most wanted criminals in the United States.
offender someone who breaks the law:
The courts should impose tougher punishments on offenders.
a special prison for young offenders
crook informal a dishonest person, especially one who steals money and who you cannot trust:
Some politicians are crooks, but not all of them.
They're just a bunch of crooks.
felon law especially American English someone who has committed a serious crime:
Convicted felons should not be allowed to profit from their crimes.
the culprit the person who has done something wrong or illegal:
The culprits were never found.
If I ever catch the culprit, he or she is in big trouble.
The culprits were just six years old.
delinquent a young person who behaves badly and is likely to commit crimes - used especially in the phrase juvenile delinquent:
He later worked with juvenile delinquents in a Florida youth services program.
accomplice someone who helps a criminal to do something illegal:
Police believe the murderer must have had an accomplice.
thief someone who steals things:
Car thieves have been working in the area.
The thieves stole over £5,000 worth of jewellery.
robber someone who steals money or valuable things from a bank, shop etc – used especially when someone sees the person who is stealing:
a masked robber armed with a shotgun
They were the most successful bank robbers in US history.
burglar someone who goes into people’s homes in order to steal:
The burglars broke in through a window.
shoplifter someone who takes things from shops without paying for them:
The cameras have helped the store catch several shoplifters.
pickpocket someone who steals things from people’s pockets, especially in a crowd:
A sign warned that pickpockets were active in the station.
conman/fraudster someone who deceives people in order to get money or things:
Conmen tricked the woman into giving them her savings, as an ‘investment’.
forger someone who illegally copies official documents, money, artworks etc:
a forger who fooled museum curators
counterfeiter someone who illegally copies money, official documents, or goods:
Counterfeiters in Colombia are printing almost perfect dollar bills.
pirate someone who illegally copies and sells another person’s work:
DVD pirates
mugger someone who attacks and robs people in public places:
Muggers took his money and mobile phone.
murderer someone who deliberately kills someone else:
His murderer was sentenced to life imprisonment.
the murderer of civil rights activist Medgar Evers
He is a mass murderer (=someone who kills a large number of people).
serial killer someone who kills several people, one after the other over a period of time, in a similar way:
Shipman was a trusted family doctor who became Britain's worst serial killer.
rapist someone who forces someone else to have sex:
Some rapists drug their victims so that they become unconscious.
sex offender someone who is guilty of a crime related to sex:
Too many sex offenders are released from prison early.
vandal someone who deliberately damages public property:
Vandals broke most of the school’s windows.
arsonist someone who deliberately sets fire to a building:
The warehouse fire may have been the work of an arsonist.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

thief someone who steals things from a person or place:
The thief grabbed her handbag and ran off down the street.
Car thieves are operating in this area.
burglar someone who goes into houses, offices etc to steal things:
Burglars broke into the house and took a computer worth £1,000.
Police believe the burglar got in through the kitchen window.
robber someone who steals from banks, offices, houses etc, especially using threats or violence:
a gang of bank robbers
an armed robber (=a robber with a gun)
shoplifter someone who takes things from shops without paying for them, especially by hiding them in their clothes or in a bag:
The store has installed hidden cameras to catch shoplifters.
pickpocket someone who steals from people’s pockets, especially in a crowded public place:
Look out for pickpockets in busy tourist areas.
mugger a thief who violently attacks someone in the street and robs them:
The mugger punched him in the face and tried to steal his wallet.
joyrider someone who steals a car and drives it very fast for fun:
Police pursued the teenage joyriders across three counties.
looter someone who breaks into shops or homes and steals things, after there has been a natural disaster, a war, or a violent protest:
Police chiefs have warned that looters will be shot.
bandit a member of an armed group of thieves who travel around attacking people in country areas :
The village was attacked by a gang of bandits.
poacher someone who hunts animals, birds etc illegally on other people’s land:
Their job is to prevent poachers from killing the elephants.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

thief someone who steals things:
Car thieves have been working in the area.
The thieves stole over £5,000 worth of jewellery.
robber someone who steals money or valuable things from a bank, shop etc – used especially when someone sees the person who is stealing:
a masked robber armed with a shotgun
They were the most successful bank robbers in US history.
burglar someone who goes into people’s homes in order to steal:
The burglars broke in through a window.
shoplifter someone who takes things from shops without paying for them:
The cameras have helped the store catch several shoplifters.
pickpocket someone who steals things from people’s pockets, especially in a crowd:
A sign warned that pickpockets were active in the station.
conman/fraudster someone who deceives people in order to get money or things:
Conmen tricked the woman into giving them her savings, as an ‘investment’.
forger someone who illegally copies official documents, money, artworks etc:
a forger who fooled museum curators
counterfeiter someone who illegally copies money, official documents, or goods:
Counterfeiters in Colombia are printing almost perfect dollar bills.
pirate someone who illegally copies and sells another person’s work:
DVD pirates
mugger someone who attacks and robs people in public places:
Muggers took his money and mobile phone.
murderer someone who deliberately kills someone else:
His murderer was sentenced to life imprisonment.
the murderer of civil rights activist Medgar Evers
He is a mass murderer (=someone who kills a large number of people).
serial killer someone who kills several people, one after the other over a period of time, in a similar way:
Shipman was a trusted family doctor who became Britain's worst serial killer.
rapist someone who forces someone else to have sex:
Some rapists drug their victims so that they become unconscious.
sex offender someone who is guilty of a crime related to sex:
Too many sex offenders are released from prison early.
vandal someone who deliberately damages public property:
Vandals broke most of the school’s windows.
arsonist someone who deliberately sets fire to a building:
The warehouse fire may have been the work of an arsonist.
copy to deliberately make or produce something that is exactly like another thing:
You could copy the files onto a CD.
Many people have tried to copy his paintings.
photocopy to copy a piece of paper with writing or pictures on it, using a machine:
I’ll photocopy the letter and give it to you.
reproduce to print a copy of a picture or document, especially in a book or newspaper:
The image has been reproduced in many magazines and newspapers around the world.
forge to illegally copy something written or printed:
He forged my signature.
forged £10 notes

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲