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steal

Pronunciation: /stiːl/
Translate steal | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of steal

verb (past stole /stəʊl/; past participle stolen /ˈstəʊlən/)

  • 1 [with object] take (another person’s property) without permission or legal right and without intending to return it:thieves stole her bicycle (as adjective stolen)stolen goods [no object]:she was found guilty of stealing from her employers
  • dishonestly pass off (another person’s ideas) as one’s own:accusations that one group had stolen ideas from the other were soon flying
  • take the opportunity to give or share (a kiss) when it is not expected or when people are not watching:he stole kisses in shop doorways
  • (in various sports) gain (an advantage, a run, or possession of the ball) unexpectedly or by exploiting the temporary distraction of an opponent: he stole the ball from Kevin Scott to run on and score his seventh League goal
  • Baseball run to (a base) while the pitcher is in the act of delivery: he claims he can steal a hundred bases this season
  • 2 [no object, with adverbial of direction] move somewhere quietly or surreptitiously:he stole down to the kitchen she disobeyed a court order and stole away with the children figurativea delicious languor was stealing over her
  • [with object and adverbial of direction] direct (a look) quickly and unobtrusively:he stole a furtive glance at her

noun

[in singular]
  • 1 informal a bargain:at £59.95 it’s an absolute steal
  • 2chiefly North American an act of stealing something:New York’s biggest art steal
  • an idea taken from another work:the chorus is a steal from The Smiths‘ ’London'
  • Baseball an act of stealing a base.

Phrases

steal someone blind

informal rob or cheat someone in a comprehensive or merciless way.

steal a march on

gain an advantage over (someone) by acting before they do:stores that open on Sunday are stealing a march on their competitors

steal someone's heart

win someone’s love.

steal the show

attract the most attention and praise.

steal someone's thunder

win praise for oneself by pre-empting someone else’s attempt to impress.
[from an exclamation by the English dramatist John Dennis (1657–1734), who invented a method of simulating the sound of thunder as a theatrical sound effect and used it in an unsuccessful play. Shortly after his play came to the end of its short run he heard his new thunder effects used at a performance of Macbeth, whereupon he is said to have exclaimed: ‘Damn them! They will not let my play run, but they steal my thunder!’]

Derivatives

stealable

adjective

stealer

noun
[in combination]:a sheep-stealer

Origin:

Old English stelan (verb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch stelen and German stehlen

steal in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of steal in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

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