Steal Definition and Meaning
By Fiza Rafique & Urooj Arif — Published on March 13, 2024
Steal means to take something without permission or legal right. e.g., The thief managed to steal the painting without being noticed.
Table of Contents
Steal Definitions
To take (another person's property) without permission or legal right.
She was caught trying to steal a wallet from a shopper.
To move or pass secretly, quietly, or unnoticed.
He managed to steal out of the house without waking anyone.
To obtain or achieve something in a clever or surreptitious way.
She managed to steal a glance at her secret admirer.
To copy or plagiarize someone's work or ideas.
The student was reprimanded for trying to steal passages from a published article.
To take advantage of a situation in a sneaky way.
He saw an opportunity to steal the lead during the confusion.
In sports, to take the ball or puck away from an opponent.
The player was able to steal the ball and score a goal.
To give or receive secretly or quietly.
They stole kisses in the moonlight, away from prying eyes.
To draw attention from someone or something else, often undeservedly.
The flamboyant costume managed to steal the show.
To use stealth or secrecy to take possession of.
The cat managed to steal into the pantry to get at the fish.
To take something from someone in a way that is wrong morally or legally.
It's unethical to steal someone's idea and claim it as your own.
To take (the property of another) without right or permission.
To present or use (someone else's words or ideas) as one's own.
To get or take secretly or artfully
Steal a look at a diary.
Steal the puck from an opponent.
To give or enjoy (a kiss) that is unexpected or unnoticed.
To draw attention unexpectedly in (an entertainment), especially by being the outstanding performer
The magician's assistant stole the show with her comic antics.
(Baseball) To advance safely to (another base) during the delivery of a pitch, without the aid of a base hit, walk, passed ball, or wild pitch.
To steal another's property.
To move, happen, or elapse stealthily or unobtrusively
He stole away for a quiet moment. The deadline stole up on us.
(Baseball) To steal a base.
The act of stealing.
(Slang) A bargain.
(Baseball) A stolen base.
(Basketball) An act of gaining possession of the ball from an opponent.
(transitive) To take illegally, or without the owner's permission, something owned by someone else without intending to return it.
Three irreplaceable paintings were stolen from the gallery.
To appropriate without giving credit or acknowledgement.
They stole my idea for a biodegradable, disposable garbage de-odorizer.
(transitive) To get or effect surreptitiously or artfully.
He stole glances at the pretty woman across the street.
To acquire at a low price.
He stole the car for two thousand less than its book value.
(transitive) To draw attention unexpectedly in (an entertainment), especially by being the outstanding performer. Usually used in the phrase steal the show.
(intransitive) To move silently or secretly.
He stole across the room, trying not to wake her.
(transitive) To convey (something) clandestinely.
To withdraw or convey (oneself) clandestinely.
To advance safely to (another base) during the delivery of a pitch, without the aid of a hit, walk, passed ball, wild pitch, or defensive indifference.
To dispossess
To borrow for a short moment.
Can I steal your pen?
Take, plagiarize, tell on a joke, use a well-worded expression in one's own parlance or writing
The act of stealing.
(slang) A piece of merchandise available at a very low, attractive price.
At this price, this car is a steal.
A situation in which a defensive player actively takes possession of the ball or puck from the opponent's team.
(baseball) A stolen base.
(curling) Scoring in an end without the hammer.
(computing) A policy in database systems that a database follows which allows a transaction to be written on nonvolatile storage before its commit occurs.
A handle; a stale, or stele.
And in his hand a huge poleax did bear.Whose steale was iron-studded but not long.
To take, and carry away, feloniously; to take without right or leave, and with intent to keep wrongfully; as, to steal the personal goods of another.
Maugre thy heed, thou must for indigenceOr steal, or beg, or borrow, thy dispense.
The man who stole a goose and gave away the giblets in alms.
To withdraw or convey clandestinely (reflexive); hence, to creep furtively, or to insinuate.
They could insinuate and steal themselves under the same by their humble carriage and submission.
He will steal himself into a man's favor.
To gain by insinuating arts or covert means.
So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.
To get into one's power gradually and by imperceptible degrees; to take possession of by a gradual and imperceptible appropriation; - with away.
Variety of objects has a tendency to steal away the mind from its steady pursuit of any subject.
To accomplish in a concealed or unobserved manner; to try to carry out secretly; as, to steal a look.
Always, when thou changest thine opinion or course, profess it plainly, . . . and do not think to steal it.
She yesterday wanted to steal a march of poor Liddy.
Fifty thousand men can not easily steal a march over the sea.
To practice, or be guilty of, theft; to commit larceny or theft.
Thou shalt not steal.
To withdraw, or pass privily; to slip in, along, or away, unperceived; to go or come furtively.
Fixed of mind to avoid further entreaty, and to fly all company, one night she stole away.
From whom you now must steal, and take no leave.
A soft and solemn breathing soundRose like a steam of rich, distilled perfumes,And stole upon the air.
An advantageous purchase;
She got a bargain at the auction
The stock was a real buy at that price
A stolen base; an instance in which a base runner advances safely during the delivery of a pitch (without the help of a hit or walk or passed ball or wild pitch)
Take without the owner's consent;
Someone stole my wallet on the train
This author stole entire paragraphs from my dissertation
Move stealthily;
The ship slipped away in the darkness
Steal a base
To go stealthily or furtively;
..stead of sneaking around spying on the neighbor's house
Steal Snonyms
Thieve
To steal something, especially without using violence.
He made a living by thieving.
Pilfer
To steal things of little value or in small quantities.
He was caught pilfering from the store.
Rob
To take property unlawfully from (a person or place) by force or threat of force.
The bank was robbed in broad daylight.
Snatch
To quickly seize (something) in a rude or eager way.
The thief snatched her purse and ran.
Swipe
To steal or take without permission.
Someone swiped my wallet at the café.
Embezzle
To steal or misappropriate (money placed in one's trust or belonging to the organization for which one works).
He was found guilty of embezzling funds.
Filch
To steal (something, especially a thing of small value) in a casual way.
He filched a pack of gum from the store.
Purloin
To steal something.
The document was purloined from the office.
Lift
To take something without permission; steal.
She was accused of lifting merchandise from the shop.
Plunder
To steal goods from (a place or person), typically using force and in a time of war or civil disorder.
Pirates were known to plunder ships.
Steal Idioms & Phrases
Steal someone's thunder
To take the attention or credit from someone else.
By announcing his own achievement, he stole her thunder during the ceremony.
Steal the show
To attract the most attention and praise.
The young singer stole the show at the concert with her amazing voice.
Steal the spotlight
To become the center of attention.
The debutante stole the spotlight with her elegant dress.
Steal away
To leave quietly and secretly.
The lovers would often steal away to their hidden spot by the lake.
Steal someone's heart
To make someone fall in love with you.
With his charming smile, he stole her heart.
Steal a kiss
To kiss someone quickly and unexpectedly.
He managed to steal a kiss when they were briefly alone.
Steal a glance
To look at someone quickly and secretly.
She stole a glance at him across the crowded room.
Steal a moment
To find a brief period of time for oneself or an activity.
They stole a moment to discuss the issue privately.
Steal a march on
To gain an advantage over someone by acting before they do.
They stole a march on their rivals by launching the product early.
Steal the scene
To overshadow others in a group situation.
Despite being a supporting actor, he stole the scene every time he appeared.
Steal one's breath away
To amaze or astonish someone.
The view from the mountaintop stole their breath away.
Steal someone's idea
To take and use someone's idea as if it were one's own.
He was accused of stealing his colleague's idea for the project.
Steal the march
To gain an advantage unexpectedly or secretly.
By negotiating directly, they stole the march on their competitors.
Steal a page from someone's book
To adopt someone's method or strategy.
She stole a page from his book and started her own online business.
Steal a lead
To get ahead, especially by being quick or cunning.
The athlete stole a lead right at the start of the race.
Steal one's sleep
To prevent someone from sleeping.
The noisy construction work stole his sleep every morning.
Steal someone's line
To say what someone else was going to say.
During the debate, she stole his line and made the point first.
Steal the limelight
To take the attention away from someone else.
The innovative design stole the limelight at the exhibition.
Steal the base
In baseball, to advance to the next base when the pitcher is not expecting it.
The player managed to steal second base during the distraction.
Steal Example Sentences
He tried to steal a look at the answers on her test.
She couldn't resist the urge to steal a cookie from the jar.
During the game, he was quick to steal the ball from the opposing team.
They used to steal away to their secret meeting place by the river.
The burglar planned to steal the jewels late at night.
The comedian's witty remarks stole the show at the banquet.
The magician managed to steal the watch right off his wrist.
He felt guilty for trying to steal his friend's idea for the project.
She managed to steal the lead in the final lap of the race.
In a moment of distraction, he was able to steal the document.
They planned to steal away under the cover of darkness.
The ninja was trained to steal into enemy territories unnoticed.
They would steal kisses whenever no one was looking.
The artist accused her peer of trying to steal her painting style.
Common Curiosities
Why is it called steal?
Steal is called so because it involves taking something secretly or without permission.
What is a stressed syllable in steal?
The entire word "steal" is stressed as it is only one syllable.
What is the verb form of steal?
The verb form is "steal."
What is the singular form of steal?
The singular form is "steal."
How many syllables are in steal?
There is one syllable in "steal."
How is steal used in a sentence?
Steal is used as a verb to describe the act of taking something secretly or without permission.
What is the first form of steal?
The first form is "steal."
What is the third form of steal?
The third form is "stolen."
What part of speech is steal?
Steal is a verb.
What is another term for steal?
Another term for steal is "pilfer."
How do we divide steal into syllables?
Steal is a single syllable word, so it is not divided.
What is the root word of steal?
The root word of "steal" is from the Old English "stelan."
What is the opposite of steal?
The opposite of steal could be "give" or "return."
What is the pronunciation of steal?
Steal is pronounced as /stiːl/.
What is the second form of steal?
The second form is "stole."
Is steal a noun or adjective?
Steal is a verb.
Is steal a countable noun?
Steal is not a noun; it is a verb and thus not countable.
Is steal an abstract noun?
No, steal is a verb, not a noun.
Is steal a vowel or consonant?
The word "steal" starts with a consonant sound.
Is the word steal Gerund?
Yes, when used as a noun, e.g., "Stealing is wrong," "stealing" acts as a gerund.
Is the steal term a metaphor?
The term "steal" can be used metaphorically in some contexts, such as "steal a look."
Is the word steal imperative?
Steal can be used in the imperative form in commands or instructions, e.g., "Steal the ball."
Which vowel is used before steal?
Vowels like "a" or "an" can be used before "steal" based on the context and following word.
Which conjunction is used with steal?
Conjunctions like "and," "but," and "or" can be used in sentences involving "steal."
Is steal a negative or positive word?
Steal is generally considered a negative word as it involves taking something without permission.
Is steal a collective noun?
No, steal is a verb and not a collective noun.
Which determiner is used with steal?
Determiners like "the," "a," "this," etc., can be used with noun forms related to actions derived from "steal" (e.g., theft).
Which preposition is used with steal?
Prepositions like "from," "into," and "away" are often used with "steal."
What is the plural form of steal?
Steal does not have a plural form as it is a verb; its actions can be pluralized, e.g., "steals."
Is steal an adverb?
No, steal is not an adverb.
Is the word “steal” a Direct object or an Indirect object?
"Steal" can involve a direct object, which is the thing being stolen, e.g., "He stole the bike."
Which article is used with steal?
Articles like "the" or "a" can be used with noun forms related to "steal," depending on the context.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
