shoplift

shoplift — verb

1. to take things that belong to a shop without giving money for them, which is a c

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB1
Definition

to take things that belong to a shop without giving money for them, which is a crime

Example

Sahil and his friends dared each other to shoplift candy from the corner shop.

dare + object + infinitive (dared each other to shoplift)

Tariq shoplifted a pack of gum at age twelve and still feels guilty about it.

Common collocations
  • shoplift + goods / items / products
  • shoplift + food / clothes / makeup / electronics / candy
Synonyms
  • steal

    much broader — covers taking anything from anyone, anywhere; shoplift is a specific type of stealing from a store

  • pilfer

    more formal, suggests taking small quantities secretly, often over time; less common in everyday speech

  • lift

    informal British slang for shoplifting; 'He lifted a bottle of wine from the supermarket'

Antonyms
  • pay

    the lawful opposite of taking without payment

  • purchase

    formal antonym — buying goods through proper payment

Grammar Patterns

shoplift + noun phrase (transitive)

shoplift (intransitive)

be caught shoplifting

Usage Note

Commonly used without an object (intransitive), especially in the pattern 'be caught shoplifting.' When transitive, the object is typically a small, portable item such as food, makeup, or clothing — never a person or a large object like a car.

Common Mistakes

Someone shoplifted my wallet on the train.
Someone pickpocketed my wallet on the train.
'shoplift' means taking goods from a store, not stealing from a person's pocket or bag.
He shoplifted the company's cash.
He stole the company's cash.
'shoplift' refers only to taking physical goods from a retail store, not money from a business.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

'Steal' is the broadest term — it covers taking anything that does not belong to you, from a wallet to a car to an idea. 'Shoplift' is a narrow, specific kind of stealing: taking goods from a store while pretending to be a customer. 'Pilfer' suggests repeated, small-scale theft, often done sneakily at work ('pilfer office supplies'). It sounds more formal and less confrontational. 'Lift' is an informal British slang equivalent of shoplift ('He lifted a bottle of perfume'). In American English, 'lift' is rare in this sense. Choose 'steal' for general situations, 'shoplift' when the location and method matter, and 'pilfer' or 'lift' when you want a particular tone — formal or casual.

steal ↗pilferlift ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • get caught shoplifting
  • be accused of shoplifting
  • a shoplifting charge

Prepositions

Etymology

English

The word 'shoplift' combines 'shop' (a place where goods are sold) with 'lift', which since the 1500s has been slang for 'to steal'. The compound first appeared in print in the early 1800s, around the time department stores became common. Before that, people used the word 'shoplifter' (a person who steals from shops) for several decades before the verb form appeared.