klepto
Habitual thief, informally
Klepto is informal shorthand for kleptomaniac—someone with a compulsive urge to steal, often items they don't need or could easily afford.
The term is casual and sometimes dismissive: She's a total klepto; she pockets stuff everywhere we go.
It can also function as an adjective: klepto tendencies.
Take without permission
- shopliftingStealing store merchandise
- pilferageMinor theft of goods
- pickpocketThief who steals carried items
- filchPetty theft
purloin · swipe · snatch · pilfer · five-finger discount · larceny · thievery · sticky fingers
Sudden urge to act
- urgeStrong inner drive
- obsessionPersistent, intrusive preoccupation
- addictionCompulsive substance reliance
- maniaIntense, consuming obsession
craving · impulsivity · compulsive · uncontrollable · irresistible · pathological · behavioral · psychological
Secretive and sly
- stealthySecretly cautious in movement
- surreptitiousDone secretly, avoiding detection
- covertIntentionally concealed
- sneakyStealthily deceptive
hidden · undetected · discreet · clandestine · concealment · sleight of hand · misdirection · distraction
Shortened word form
- nicknameInformal substitute name
- shorthandAbbreviated writing system
- diminutiveVery small, or nickname form
- informalRelaxed, not official
colloquial · casual · truncation · prefix · Greek root
steal
Take without permission
- shopliftingStealing store merchandise
- pilferageMinor theft of goods
- pickpocketThief who steals carried items
filch · purloin · swipe · snatch · pilfer · five-finger discount · larceny · thievery · sticky fingers · light-fingered
impulse
Sudden urge to act
- urgeStrong inner drive
- obsessionPersistent, intrusive preoccupation
- addictionCompulsive substance reliance
mania · craving · impulsivity · compulsive · uncontrollable · irresistible · pathological · behavioral · psychological · disorder
furtive
Secretive and sly
- stealthySecretly cautious in movement
- surreptitiousDone secretly, avoiding detection
- covertIntentionally concealed
sneaky · hidden · undetected · discreet · clandestine · concealment · sleight of hand · misdirection · distraction · unnoticed
abbreviation
Shortened word form
- nicknameInformal substitute name
- shorthandAbbreviated writing system
- diminutiveVery small, or nickname form
informal · colloquial · casual · truncation · prefix · Greek root
- theftstealing, larceny, steal, burglary, robbery
- thievesthief, robber, burglar, pickpocket, shoplifter
kleptophilanthropist
Donor to charitable causes
giver · donor · benefactor · altruist · Santa Claus
kleptomaniac, kleptomania, kleptocracy, kleptomaniacs, kleptocratic