pilfered
Took without permission
Pilfered is the past tense of pilfer, meaning to steal small amounts or items of little value.
The word suggests petty theft rather than grand larceny—swiping office supplies, filching coins from a jar: Someone had pilfered snacks from the break room.
It often carries a slightly lighter moral weight than outright stealing.
Took and concealed
- shopliftedStole from a store
- nickedCut superficially
- filchedStole casually
- snatchedTook quickly, abruptly
swiped · lifted · pinched · purloined · embezzled · misappropriated · appropriated · abstracted
Unlawful taking of goods
- theftUnlawful taking of property
- shopliftingStealing store merchandise
- petty theftMinor stealing offense
- embezzlementFraudulent taking of entrusted assets
misappropriation · kleptomania · pickpocketing · stealing · thievery
Secretive and sly
- surreptitiousDone secretly, avoiding detection
- covertIntentionally concealed
- stealthySecretly cautious in movement
- sneakyStealthily deceptive
secretive · undetected · discreet · clandestine · underhand · sly · crafty · cunning
pocketed
Took and concealed
- shopliftedStole from a store
- nickedCut superficially
- filchedStole casually
snatched · swiped · lifted · pinched · purloined · embezzled · misappropriated · appropriated · abstracted · boosted
larceny
Unlawful taking of goods
- theftUnlawful taking of property
- shopliftingStealing store merchandise
- petty theftMinor stealing offense
embezzlement · misappropriation · kleptomania · pickpocketing · stealing · thievery
furtive
Secretive and sly
- surreptitiousDone secretly, avoiding detection
- covertIntentionally concealed
- stealthySecretly cautious in movement
sneaky · secretive · undetected · discreet · clandestine · underhand · sly · crafty · cunning · shifty
looted
Stolen from, especially violently
pilferedreturned
Went back again
restored · given back · restituted · surrendered · unpilfered
pilfer, pilfering, pilferage, pilferer, pilfers, pilferers, pilferings