Steal vs. Nick — What's the Difference?
By Maham Liaqat & Urooj Arif — Updated on March 15, 2024
Steal involves taking something without permission and often secretly, focusing on the act's illegality, whereas nick also means to steal but conveys a more informal or less severe connotation.
Difference Between Steal and Nick
Table of Contents
ADVERTISEMENT
Key Differences
Steal is a term that encompasses the act of taking someone else's property without their permission and with the intent to permanently deprive the owner of it. This term is broad and can apply to various contexts, from petty theft to grand larceny, emphasizing the act's criminality. Whereas, nick is colloquially used to refer to the act of stealing, but it often implies a less serious, more opportunistic theft, such as pilfering or shoplifting smaller items. It's more commonly used in informal British English.
Steal is used in both legal and everyday language to describe actions ranging from embezzlement to burglary. It carries a heavy ethical and legal weight, underscoring the seriousness of the act. On the other hand, nick, while still denoting an illegal activity, tends to be used in less formal contexts and often with a slightly humorous or trivial tone, suggesting the act might be less ethically or legally severe.
When someone says they "stole" something, it can trigger a strong reaction and lead to significant legal consequences, reflecting the gravity of the offense. In contrast, saying someone "nicked" something might not elicit as strong a response, reflecting the term's usage in situations perceived as less critical or harmful.
The choice between "steal" and "nick" can also reflect the speaker's cultural background or the dialect of English they're using. "Steal" is universally understood in English-speaking countries, whereas "nick" is more specific to British English, illustrating how regional variations influence the perception and usage of these terms.
In literature and media, "to steal" often appears in contexts that highlight drama, tension, or moral dilemmas, contributing to the development of plot or character. Meanwhile, "to nick" might be used in more light-hearted or comedic scenes, emphasizing the term's role in setting a different tone or mood in storytelling.
ADVERTISEMENT
Comparison Chart
Connotation
Broad, serious, legal/ethical weight
Informal, less severe, colloquial
Severity
Can range from petty to grand larceny
Often implies minor, opportunistic theft
Legal Implications
Heavy, with potential for serious charges
Less severe, but still illegal
Usage
Universal in English-speaking countries
More common in British English
Context in Media
Dramatic, tense, moral dilemmas
Light-hearted, comedic scenes
Compare with Definitions
Steal
To take (another person's property) without permission or legal right and without intending to return it.
The burglars planned to steal the jewels late at night.
Nick
To cut slightly or notch.
I nicked myself shaving this morning.
Steal
To win, gain, or carry off surreptitiously or by strategy.
The underdog team stole the victory in the final minutes.
Nick
Slang for being in a condition or situation, typically a bad one.
The car was in a bad nick after the accident.
Steal
To take or appropriate without right or leave and with intent to keep or make use of wrongfully.
The company was accused of stealing trade secrets.
Nick
British slang for a police station or prison.
After being caught, he was taken down to the nick.
Steal
To move, convey, or introduce secretly or stealthily.
She managed to steal glances at her crush.
Nick
To steal, especially in a minor or petty way.
He nicked a candy bar from the store.
Steal
To take the attention or admiration away from.
The stunning view stole the show at the gallery opening.
Nick
To catch or arrest.
The police nicked him for shoplifting.
Steal
Take (another person's property) without permission or legal right and without intending to return it
She was found guilty of stealing from her employers
Thieves stole her bicycle
Stolen goods
Nick
Nick is a masculine given name. It is also often encountered as a short form (hypocorism) of the given names Nicholas, Nicola, Nicolas, Nikola, Nicolai or Nicodemus.
Steal
Move somewhere quietly or surreptitiously
A delicious languor was stealing over her
He stole down to the kitchen
She disobeyed a court order and stole away with the children
Nick
A small cut or notch
A small nick on his wrist
Steal
A bargain
At £59.95 it's an absolute steal
Nick
Prison
He'll end up in the nick for the rest of his life
Steal
An act of stealing something
New York's biggest art steal
Nick
The junction between the floor and side walls in a squash court or real tennis court.
Steal
To take (the property of another) without right or permission.
Nick
Make a nick or nicks in
He had nicked himself while shaving
Steal
To present or use (someone else's words or ideas) as one's own.
Nick
Steal
She nicked fivers from the till
Steal
To get or take secretly or artfully
Steal a look at a diary.
Steal the puck from an opponent.
Nick
Arrest (someone)
Stuart and Dan got nicked for burglary
Steal
To give or enjoy (a kiss) that is unexpected or unnoticed.
Nick
Go quickly or surreptitiously
They nicked across the road
Steal
To draw attention unexpectedly in (an entertainment), especially by being the outstanding performer
The magician's assistant stole the show with her comic antics.
Nick
A shallow notch, cut, or indentation on an edge or a surface
Nicks in the table.
Razor nicks on his chin.
Steal
(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.
Nick
Chiefly British Slang A prison or police station.
Steal
To steal another's property.
Nick
(Printing) A groove down the side of a piece of type used to ensure that it is correctly placed.
Steal
To move, happen, or elapse stealthily or unobtrusively
He stole away for a quiet moment. The deadline stole up on us.
Nick
To cut a nick or notch in.
Steal
(Baseball) To steal a base.
Nick
To cut into and wound slightly
A sliver of glass nicked my hand.
Steal
The act of stealing.
Nick
To cut short; check
Nicked an impulse to flee.
Steal
(Slang) A bargain.
Nick
(Slang) To cheat, especially by overcharging.
Steal
(Baseball) A stolen base.
Nick
To steal.
Steal
(Basketball) An act of gaining possession of the ball from an opponent.
Nick
To arrest.
Steal
(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.
Nick
A small cut in a surface.
Steal
To appropriate without giving credit or acknowledgement.
They stole my idea for a biodegradable, disposable garbage de-odorizer.
Nick
A particular place or point considered as marked by a nick; the exact point or critical moment.
In the nick of time
Steal
(transitive) To get or effect surreptitiously or artfully.
He stole glances at the pretty woman across the street.
Nick
A notch cut crosswise in the shank of a type, to assist a compositor in placing it properly in the stick, and in distribution.
Steal
To acquire at a low price.
He stole the car for two thousand less than its book value.
Nick
Senses connoting something small.
Steal
(transitive) To draw attention unexpectedly in (an entertainment), especially by being the outstanding performer. Usually used in the phrase steal the show.
Nick
(cricket) A small deflection of the ball off the edge of the bat, often going to the wicket-keeper for a catch.
Steal
(intransitive) To move silently or secretly.
He stole across the room, trying not to wake her.
Nick
(genetics) One of the single-stranded DNA segments produced during nick translation.
Steal
(transitive) To convey (something) clandestinely.
Nick
The point where the wall of the court meets the floor.
Steal
To withdraw or convey (oneself) clandestinely.
Nick
Often in the expressions in bad nick and in good nick: condition, state.
The car I bought was cheap and in good nick.
Steal
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.
Nick
A police station or prison.
He was arrested and taken down to Sun Hill nick [police station] to be charged.
He’s just been released from Shadwell nick [prison] after doing ten years for attempted murder.
Steal
To dispossess
Nick
(Internet) nickname
A user’s reserved nick on an IRC network
Steal
To borrow for a short moment.
Can I steal your pen?
Nick
(archaic) A nix or water]] spirit.
Steal
Take, plagiarize, tell on a joke, use a well-worded expression in one's own parlance or writing
Nick
(transitive) To make a nick or notch in; to cut or scratch in a minor way.
I nicked myself while I was shaving.
Steal
The act of stealing.
Nick
(transitive) To make ragged or uneven, as by cutting nicks or notches in; to deface, to mar.
Steal
(slang) A piece of merchandise available at a very low, attractive price.
At this price, this car is a steal.
Nick
To make a crosscut or cuts on the underside of (the tail of a horse, in order to make the animal carry it higher).
Steal
A situation in which a defensive player actively takes possession of the ball or puck from the opponent's team.
Nick
To fit into or suit, as by a correspondence of nicks; to tally with.
Steal
(baseball) A stolen base.
Nick
To hit at, or in, the nick; to touch rightly; to strike at the precise point or time.
Steal
(curling) Scoring in an end without the hammer.
Nick
To hit the ball with the edge of the bat and produce a fine deflection.
Steal
(computing) A policy in database systems that a database follows which allows a transaction to be written on nonvolatile storage before its commit occurs.
Nick
To throw or turn up (a number when playing dice); to hit upon.
Steal
A handle; a stale, or stele.
And in his hand a huge poleax did bear.Whose steale was iron-studded but not long.
Nick
To make a cut at the side of the face.
Steal
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.
Nick
To steal.
Steal
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.
Nick
To arrest.
The police nicked him climbing over the fence of the house he’d broken into.
Steal
To gain by insinuating arts or covert means.
So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.
Nick
To give or call (someone) by a nickname; to style.
Steal
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.
Nick
An evil spirit of the waters.
Steal
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.
Nick
A notch cut into something
Steal
To practice, or be guilty of, theft; to commit larceny or theft.
Thou shalt not steal.
Nick
A broken or indented place in any edge or surface; as, nicks in a china plate; a nick in the table top.
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.
Nick
A particular point or place considered as marked by a nick; the exact point or critical moment.
To cut it off in the very nick.
This nick of time is the critical occasion for the gaining of a point.
Steal
An advantageous purchase;
She got a bargain at the auction
The stock was a real buy at that price
Nick
To make a nick or nicks in; to notch; to keep count of or upon by nicks; as, to nick a stick, tally, etc.
Steal
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)
Nick
To mar; to deface; to make ragged, as by cutting nicks or notches in; to create a nick{2} in, deliberately or accidentally; as, to nick the rim of a teacup.
And thence proceed to nicking sashes.
The itch of his affection should not thenHave nicked his captainship.
Steal
Take without the owner's consent;
Someone stole my wallet on the train
This author stole entire paragraphs from my dissertation
Nick
To suit or fit into, as by a correspondence of nicks; to tally with.
Words nicking and resembling one another are applicable to different significations.
Steal
Move stealthily;
The ship slipped away in the darkness
Nick
To hit at, or in, the nick; to touch rightly; to strike at the precise point or time.
The just season of doing things must be nicked, and all accidents improved.
Steal
Steal a base
Nick
To make a cross cut or cuts on the under side of (the tail of a horse, in order to make him carry it higher).
Steal
To go stealthily or furtively;
..stead of sneaking around spying on the neighbor's house
Nick
To nickname; to style.
For Warbeck, as you nick him, came to me.
Nick
An impression in a surface (as made by a blow)
Nick
A small cut
Nick
Cut slightly, with a razor;
The barber's knife nicked his cheek
Nick
Cut a nick into
Nick
Divide or reset the tail muscles of;
Nick horses
Nick
Mate successfully; of livestock
Common Curiosities
Is "stealing" always considered a crime?
Yes, stealing is always considered a crime as it involves unlawfully taking someone's property.
Can "nick" have other meanings besides stealing?
Yes, "nick" can also mean to catch or arrest someone, to cut slightly, or refer to a condition or state.
Can "nick" be used in formal contexts?
Nick is generally used in informal contexts due to its colloquial nature and less severe connotation.
What does "steal" imply in legal terms?
Steal implies taking someone's property without permission with the intent to permanently deprive them of it, a serious legal offense.
How do the legal consequences for "stealing" and "nicking" compare?
Legal consequences for stealing can be more severe, reflecting the act's seriousness, whereas nicking, while still illegal, often pertains to less severe thefts.
What kind of theft does "nicking" typically refer to?
Nicking typically refers to minor or opportunistic theft, such as shoplifting small items.
Are there different types of theft?
Yes, theft can range from petty (minor) to grand theft, depending on the value of the stolen property.
Can "steal" be used metaphorically?
Yes, "steal" can be used metaphorically to describe taking attention or admiration away from someone or something.
Can "steal" apply to intellectual property?
Yes, stealing can also refer to taking or using someone's intellectual property without permission.
Is "nicking" associated with a particular region or dialect?
Nicking is more commonly associated with British English and is less commonly used in other dialects.
How does the context change the usage of "steal" and "nick"?
The context, such as the formality of the setting or the severity of the theft, can influence whether "steal" or "nick" is used.
Is "to steal" used universally across English-speaking countries?
Yes, "to steal" is understood and used in all English-speaking countries.
Can the term "nick" be used playfully?
Yes, "nick" can be used in a playful or light-hearted manner, especially in informal contexts or among friends.
What does it mean when someone is "nicked" by the police?
It means they have been caught or arrested by the police.
Does the severity of the theft affect the choice between "steal" and "nick"?
Yes, "steal" is often used for more serious thefts, while "nick" implies less severe instances.
Share Your Discovery
Previous Comparison
Interview vs. Survey
Next Comparison
Corn vs. MilletAuthor Spotlight
Written by
Maham Liaqat
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.
