What does stealing mean?
Stealing means taking another person's property without permission or rightful entitlement, usually in circumstances that make the act illegal or unfair. The word can also describe dishonest or deceitful conduct, furtive movement, and figurative acts such as taking the spotlight from someone else or borrowing another person's ideas and success. As the present participle of steal, it appears naturally before nouns, as in stealing money or stealing a car, and before another verb, as in stealing to win. In expressions such as stealing the show, stealing a glance, and stealing someone's thunder, it often carries a lighter, humorous, or mildly critical tone rather than suggesting a serious crime. As a noun, stealing commonly refers to the broader practice or phenomenon, as in the stealing of cultural property. Its compact form makes it useful for describing both literal misconduct and figurative social behavior.
Taking someone's property without permission or rightful entitlement; also, in figurative use, taking credit, attention, or another person's thunder.
"He was caught stealing mail from the mailbox."
As a present participle, stealing may modify a following noun or verb. Figurative uses are often informal or humorous.
Describing behavior that is furtive, dishonest, or intended to attract attention covertly.
"She gave him a stealing glance before looking away."
This use is commonly found in figurative expressions such as stealing glance, stealing kiss, and stealing the show.
The act of taking property without permission or rightful entitlement.
"The museum works to prevent the stealing of cultural objects."
Usually uncountable, especially when referring to the practice or phenomenon generally.
Rare; the noun is normally used in the singular or as an uncountable noun.
"The report documented several stealings from local businesses."
Stealing can mean more than taking property: it can describe moving quietly, cheating, or upstaging someone—several kinds of misconduct in one small word.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does stealing come from?
Stealing is the present participle and gerund of steal. Steal comes from Old English stælan, meaning to take property surreptitiously, and is related cognately to Dutch stelen and German stehlen. The word's Germanic relatives preserve a broadly similar meaning across several European languages, while the modern English form developed through the usual Old English and Middle English spelling and grammatical history.
Related word forms
How stealing is actually used
The basic sense is clearly negative and usually implies an illegal or unauthorized act. In figurative expressions such as stealing the show, stealing a glance, and stealing someone's thunder, it often has a playful or neutral connotation. The noun use, as in the stealing of art, is usually uncountable and is somewhat more formal than the verb.
Easily confused with stealing
Stealing names the act of taking property unlawfully, whereas stolen is the past participle and adjective describing property that has been taken unlawfully.