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ˈthieving
/ ˈθiːvɪŋ /
adjective
- given to stealing other people's possessions
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Example Sentences
The underwear was returned to Payne -- but not until after one of the thieving fans tried them on.
Putin is also, for obvious reasons, not a great fan of people-power democracy movements that overthrow corrupt, thieving elites.
A novel dealing with, among many other interesting things, the aesthetics of thieving.
Spacey makes Abramoff an enormously appealing rage-filled, thieving, megalomaniacal sociopath.
But Spacey makes Abramoff an enormously appealing, rage-filled, thieving, megalomaniacal sociopath.
And he is not a poacher and a snarer, and I don't know what all, leading a lawless life, and thieving for his living?
Ugly had left the country a decade ago, following his acquittal for petty thieving.
Has since lived as he best could,—sometimes going errands, sometimes begging and thieving.
The drawbridge is raised and the portcullis closed, so that a thieving Redskin would find it a hard matter to make his way in.
It sent me this thieving, rascally scheme of this man Perceval's, and it turned my boy's head, and lost him to me.
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More About Thieving
What does thieving mean?
Thieving is used to describe a person who is thought to be prone to being a thief, especially as part of a pattern of behavior.
The verb thieve means to steal or commit theft. The word thievish can be used to mean the same thing as thieving. The related noun thievery refers to the practice of stealing.
The words thief and theft are often used in situations in which a person steals in secret and without using force or violence. However, the words thieve, thieving, and thievery are used in the context of all kinds of thefts, even violent ones.
The word thieving is typically applied to those who are thought to steal all the time or to live a criminal lifestyle. Thieving is often paired with other negative adjectives to describe someone as a dishonest and corrupt criminal, as in They are nothing but a bunch of lying, scheming, thieving criminals!
Example: Come back here, you lying, thieving rapscallion!
Where does thieving come from?
The first records of the word thieving as an adjective come from around 1600. Its base word, the verb thieve, comes from the Old English thēofian.
Thieve and related words like thievery and thieving can sometimes sound a bit old-timey, like they’re out of a classic adventure novel. However, thieving is still used in modern contexts, and it’s often followed by very negative words to refer to the person that the speaker considers a no-good, thieving thief.
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What are some other forms related to thieving?
- thieve (verb)
What are some synonyms for thieving?
What are some words that share a root or word element with thieving?
What are some words that often get used in discussing thieving?
How is thieving used in real life?
Thieving is often paired with other negative adjectives to describe a person considered a corrupt criminal.
Typical response of thieving, scheming, self-aggrandising businessmen who loot and scoot: Mallya frolicked with calendar models, lived the life of a flashy playboy nabob on money borrowed from banks, but guess who is to blame? His employees whom he cheated and whose PF he stole. https://t.co/4Qb67NXUSz
— Kanchan Gupta (@KanchanGupta) May 9, 2018
What's worse than sneaky, scheming, perverted, thieving, "spiritual" gurus?
People who follow them.
— Mahima Kukreja 🌱🌈✊🏽 (@AGirlOfHerWords) August 22, 2013
Try using thieving!
Which of the following people could be described as thieving?
A. con artist
B. pickpocket
C. bank robber
D. all of the above
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