What does "steal" mean?
The act of stealing.
Steal
/stiːl/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The act of stealing.
- Grammar: steal is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: bargain, rip, rip off, abduct.
- Useful contrasts: more copying ethics, fade, full price.
- Usage evidence: Hunger compelled the boy to steal money from the cash register.
How to use "steal"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "steal" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "steal" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "steal" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "steal" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "steal" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "bargain" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "steal", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The act of stealing.
- 2 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) wordnet
- 3 A piece of merchandise available at a very low, attractive price; the act of buying it. figuratively, slang
"Near-synonyms: bargain, good value, value for money"
- 4 an advantageous purchase wordnet
- 5 A situation in which a defensive player actively takes possession of the ball or puck from the opponent's team.
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 A stolen base.
- 7 Scoring in an end without the hammer.
- 8 A policy in database systems that a database follows which allows a transaction to be written on nonvolatile storage before its commit occurs.
Verb
- 1 To take illegally, or without the owner's permission, something owned by someone else without intending to return it. transitive
"Three irreplaceable paintings were stolen from the gallery."
- 2 steal a base wordnet
- 3 To appropriate without giving credit or acknowledgement. transitive, usually
"They stole my idea for a biodegradable, disposable garbage de-odorizer."
- 4 move stealthily wordnet
- 5 To get or effect surreptitiously or artfully. transitive
"He stole glances at the pretty woman across the street."
Show 10 more definitions
- 6 take without the owner's consent wordnet
- 7 To acquire at a low price. figuratively, informal, transitive
"He stole the car for two thousand less than its book value."
- 8 To draw attention unexpectedly in (an entertainment), especially by being the outstanding performer. Usually used in the phrase steal the show. transitive
- 9 To move silently or secretly. intransitive
"He stole across the room, trying not to wake her."
- 10 To convey (something) clandestinely. transitive
"The fact that European Cuckoos steal their eggs into the nests of other birds has been generally known for more than a thousand years."
- 11 To withdraw or convey (oneself) clandestinely.
"They could insinuate and steal themselves under the same by their humble carriage and submission."
- 12 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. transitive
- 13 To dispossess transitive
"However, until Gardner stole the ball from Dean Whitehead in the centre circle with the half-hour approaching, setting off on a run which culminated with a testing long-range shot - with debutant Obafemi Martins lurking, Begovic gathered at the second time of asking - Stoke looked the more credible contenders to break the deadlock."
- 14 To borrow for a short moment. excessive, informal, transitive
"Can I steal your pen?"
- 15 To take or retell someone else’s joke; to use a clever phrase or expression from someone else in one's own speaking or writing. humorous, informal, transitive
Example
"Hunger compelled the boy to steal money from the cash register."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "steal"?
Common synonyms include: bargain, rip, rip off, abduct, absconds, abstract.
How do you use "steal" in a sentence?
Hunger compelled the boy to steal money from the cash register.
How do you pronounce "steal"?
Pronounced /stiːl/.
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *stelaną Proto-West Germanic *stelan Old English stelan Middle English stelen English steal Inherited from Middle English stelen, from Old English stelan, from Proto-West Germanic *stelan, from Proto-Germanic *stelaną. Cognate with Bavarian stöhn (“to steal”), Dutch stelen (“to steal”), German, Low German stehlen (“to steal”), Luxembourgish stielen (“to steal”), Danish stjæle (“to steal”), Faroese stjala (“to steal”), Icelandic stela (“to steal”), Norwegian Bokmål stjele (“to steal”), Norwegian Nynorsk stela, stele (“to steal”), Swedish stjäla (“to steal”), Gothic 𐍃𐍄𐌹𐌻𐌰𐌽 (stilan, “to steal”). For the meaning development compare with Russian красть (krastʹ, “to steal”) and Russian кра́сться (krástʹsja, “to stalk, to prowl, to slink”). etymology notes Proposed etymologies beyond Germanic are numerous and include * Proto-Indo-European *ster-: compare Welsh herw (“theft, raid”), Ancient Greek στερέω (steréō, “to deprive of”) * Proto-Indo-European *stel(H)- (“to stretch”): compare Albanian pë/mbështjell (“I confuse, mess up, mix, wrap up”), Old Church Slavonic стєлѭ (steljǫ, “I spread out (bed, roof)”), Ancient Greek τηλία (tēlía, “playing table”) * Proto-Indo-European *tsel- (“to sneak”): compare Sanskrit त्सरति (tsárati, “creep, sneak up on”) and other forms under Pokorny 5. *sel- "schleichen, kriechen"