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

Freezing dormant coins, supporters argue, beats letting a future quantum thief drain them and dump them on the market. — Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026

Hagans said Haitians returning to their home country from America are viewed as wealthy and vulnerable, and are often targeted by thieves and bandits. — Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 1 Aug. 2026

Only Fortitude could be accessed by thieves, solely due to the production company’s failure to encrypt the drive, the spokesperson alleged. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 31 July 2026

An Apple AirTag can provide a backup location signal, although Apple's anti-stalking alerts may eventually warn a thief that an unknown AirTag is traveling with the vehicle. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 31 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