thief

noun

ˈthēf 

plural thieves ˈthēvz 

: one that steals especially stealthily or secretly

also : one who commits theft or larceny

Synonyms of thief

• robber
• burglar

Examples of thief in a Sentence

A thief took my purse.

a thief has been stealing wallets and valuables from the lockers at the gym

Recent Examples on the Web

Biometric authentication, such as Face ID or fingerprint recognition, generally offers stronger protection against opportunistic thieves because there’s no passcode for someone nearby to observe. — Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 26 July 2026

And no, hating Zionism and this murderous thief is not hating Jews. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 26 July 2026

The torque theft recalls the brazen theft at the Louvre in Paris, in which thieves made off with $102 million worth of jewels in less than eight minutes, also in broad daylight. — Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 25 July 2026

Irene has blackmailed the Bohemian royal family, Carrie is a thief who has stolen rare stamps from a penniless woman unaware of their value, and Fanny disguises as a man to gain access to a bank vault. — Literary Hub, 24 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English theef, from Old English thēof; akin to Old High German diob thief

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing thief

• sneak thief

Rhymes for thief

• beef
• brief
• chief
• fief
• grief
• leaf
• lief
• reef
• reif
• seif
• sheaf
• belief

Kids Definition

thief

noun

ˈthēf 

plural thieves ˈthēvz 

: one that steals

Legal Definition

thief

noun

plural thieves

: one who commits theft

Etymology

Old English thēof