shoplifting

shoplifting — noun

1. the crime of entering a store and secretly taking its products without paying —

1.名詞B1
釋義

the crime of entering a store and secretly taking its products without paying — shoplifters typically hide the items in their pockets, under their coat, or inside a bag before walking out

例句

A teenager was caught shoplifting at the supermarket near his high school.

caught shoplifting — passive construction with crime verb

Store detectives watch customers carefully to prevent shoplifting in department stores.

prevent shoplifting — verb + noun collocation

同義詞
  • theft

    broader term for any act of taking someone else's property without permission

  • stealing

    more general, everyday word for taking something that does not belong to you

  • shrinkage

    formal or euphemistic term used by retailers for inventory loss including shoplifting; not used in everyday speech

文法句型

uncountable noun

用法筆記

Shoplifting is a specific type of theft that happens only inside a shop where the thief pretends to be a customer. It differs from robbery (stealing using force or threats) and burglary (illegally entering a building to steal). Shoplifting is always uncountable — you say 'three cases of shoplifting', never 'three shopliftings'.

常見錯誤

❌He was arrested for shoplift.
✅He was arrested for shoplifting.
💡The noun form is shoplifting, not shoplift. 'Shoplift' is the verb only.
❌The police caught him in shoplifting.
✅The police caught him shoplifting.
💡The correct pattern is 'catch + person + shoplifting', with no preposition.