steal

The word “steal” means to take something that belongs to someone else without permission or intention of returning it. In plain terms, taking something without permission — literally, or figuratively as in "steal the show" or "steal a glance.".

“Steal” is pronounced steel (/stiːl/ in IPA).

Here is “steal” used in a sentence: “He was caught trying to steal cash from the register.”

Words with a similar meaning to “steal” include abduct, abstract, appropriate, bag, bandit and bash and grab.

The opposite of “steal” — its antonyms — are receive, purchase, buy, donate and earn.

Depending on how it is used, “steal” can be a verb and a noun.

The word “steal” comes from Old English. From Old English stelan, going back to a Germanic root shared with German stehlen and Dutch stelen.

“Steal” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.

You steal a thing but rob a person or place. Steal focuses on the object taken, as in 'they stole my bike.' Rob focuses on the victim, as in 'they robbed the bank' or 'robbed me.' So a thief steals money and robs the shop it came from. Mixing them up, as in 'stole the bank,' sounds wrong.

The key difference is permission and return. To borrow is to take something with permission, intending to give it back. To steal is to take it without permission and without meaning to return it. Borrowing is honest and temporary; stealing is dishonest and treats another person's property as your own to keep.

Steal has figurative senses too. To 'steal the show' is to attract all the attention. To 'steal a glance' is to look quickly and secretly. To 'steal away' is to leave quietly and unnoticed. In sport, a player can steal the ball. These uses share the idea of doing something swiftly, quietly, or without permission.