Pronunciation: /stiːl/

Definitions of steal

noun the action of taking something without permission

Example Sentences

A1 Stealing is wrong.

A2 The thief was caught trying to steal a purse.

B1 Shoplifting is a common form of stealing.

B2 The burglary resulted in the theft of valuable items.

C1 The heist was meticulously planned to steal the priceless artwork.

C2 The embezzlement scheme was a sophisticated way to steal millions of dollars.

verb to take something without permission

Example Sentences

A1 He steals candy from the store.

A2 The thief tried to steal a car but got caught.

B1 She was accused of stealing money from the company.

B2 The art thief managed to steal a valuable painting from the museum.

C1 The hacker was able to steal sensitive information from the government database.

C2 The master thief was known for his ability to steal priceless artifacts without getting caught.

Examples of steal in a Sentence

formal The thief was caught attempting to steal jewelry from the store.

informal I can't believe she tried to steal my phone when I wasn't looking!

slang He's always trying to steal my thunder by copying everything I do.

figurative Her beauty seemed to steal the spotlight at the party.

Grammatical Forms of steal

past tense

stole

plural

steals

comparative

more steal

superlative

most steal

present tense

steal

future tense

will steal

perfect tense

have stolen

continuous tense

is stealing

singular

stealer

positive degree

steal

infinitive

to steal

gerund

stealing

participle

stolen

Origin and Evolution of steal

First Known Use: 0825 year
Language of Origin: Old English
Story behind the word: The word 'steal' originated from the Old English word 'stelan' which meant to commit theft or take something without permission.
Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'steal' has retained its original meaning of taking something unlawfully, but has also evolved to include more metaphorical uses such as 'stealing someone's heart' or 'stealing the spotlight'.