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

The thieves also damaged the main office building with copper wiring and components removed from rooftop systems and air conditioning units, police said. — Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026

The basic set-up, for years, was just a comic ripping off a joke and performing it on stage; the infamous mid-2000s Comedy Store stand-off between Joe Rogan and alleged joke thief Carlos Mencia is one of the most famous examples. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026

Europol has warned of an increase in museum robberies, with gold objects proving particularly attractive to thieves. — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Notifications are either helpful nudges or time-consuming attention thieves, depending on your worldview. — Adam Clark Estes, Vox, 16 Oct. 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