verb / noun
steal
STEEL/stiːl/
To take something without a rightful claim.
A thief steals an unattended bicycle while its owner looks away.
Etymology
Old English stelan already meant taking something without right or permission. Secrecy seems to have been part of its original meaning, connecting theft with the quiet, furtive action still suggested by “steal away.”
In context
I don't have any right to steal the future from our descendants
More examples
- She accuses her coworker of stealing her ideas.
- At twenty dollars, this jacket is a steal.
- The runner steals second base before the catcher can throw.
Forms
steal · steals · stole · stolen · stealing
Similar words
- pilfer
- Usually means stealing small items or amounts, often repeatedly.
- rob
- Emphasizes taking from a person or place, often by force.