shoplifter
shoplifter — noun
1. an individual who takes merchandise from a store without paying, typically by co
an individual who takes merchandise from a store without paying, typically by concealing the items
Security guards at the mall watch for shoplifters near the jewelry counter every evening.
passive + 'watch for': shoplifters are watched / monitored
Mizuki watched a suspected shoplifter put perfume into her bag and walk out.
verb + object: watched a suspected shoplifter + do something
A store employee caught the shoplifter hiding video games under his jacket.
Last year, shoplifters cost this grocery store over forty thousand dollars in stolen goods.
Nkechi saw a shoplifter run out of the pharmacy and immediately called the security guard.
- thief
broader term for anyone who steals; shoplifter specifies stealing from stores
- kleptomaniac
a person with a compulsive urge to steal, often due to a mental health condition; not all shoplifters are kleptomaniacs
- pilferer
less common, usually refers to someone who steals small items over time, not necessarily from a store
- honest customer
a person who pays for the items they take from a store
- law-abiding shopper
a person who follows the law while shopping
用法筆記
Distinguish from the related noun 'shoplifting', which refers to the criminal act itself (e.g. 'She was arrested for shoplifting'). 'Shoplifter' always refers to a person.