shoplifter
gb/ʃˈɑplˌɪftɚ/ us/ʃˈɑplˌɪftɚ/
B2
English
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B2
role
1
person who steals from stores
A shoplifter is a person who steals things from a store.
Usage pattern:
a shoplifter; [someone] is a shoplifter
Common mistake:
Don’t confuse shoplifter (a thief) with shopper (a customer). Also, shoplifter is a noun, not a verb.
Synonyms
shop thief (A common two-word synonym; slightly more informal.)
|
retail thief (More general and often used in news or security contexts.)
Antonyms
honest customer (A shopper who pays for items instead of stealing them.)
Collocations
caught a shoplifter
|detain a shoplifter
|apprehend a shoplifter
|a suspected shoplifter
|a would-be shoplifter
|a serial shoplifter
|a teenage shoplifter
|a shoplifter was arrested
|shoplifter deterrent
|shoplifter prevention
Themes
crime
|shopping
|law
Examples
- The security guard stopped a shoplifter at the exit.
- Police said the shoplifter had taken several bottles of perfume.
- The store banned the shoplifter from coming back.
Learner examples
- A shoplifter stole a jacket from the store.
- The shoplifter was caught by security.
Grammar
Dictionary form
shoplifter
IPA
GB/ʃˈɑplˌɪftɚ/
US/ʃˈɑplˌɪftɚ/
Syllables & stress
shoplift - er (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (shoplift)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: shoplifter
- Plural: shoplifters
Expressions
serial shoplifter
1/sˈɪɹiəl ʃˈɑplˌɪftɚ/
fixed phrase
person who shoplifts repeatedly
A person who steals from stores again and again.
Examples
- The court heard that he was a serial shoplifter with several prior convictions.
- Store staff recognized her as a serial shoplifter.
- Police said the serial shoplifter targeted small independent shops.
suspected shoplifter
1/səspˈɛktɪd ʃˈɑplˌɪftɚ/
fixed phrase
person believed to be stealing
A person that people think is stealing from a store.
Examples
- Staff followed a suspected shoplifter through the aisles.
- The guard asked the suspected shoplifter to wait while the police were called.
- A suspected shoplifter left quickly when he noticed the cameras.
would-be shoplifter
1/wˈʊd bˈi ʃˈɑplˌɪftɚ/
fixed phrase
person trying to steal
A person who is trying (or planning) to steal from a store.
Examples
- The visible cameras can deter a would-be shoplifter.
- Security stopped a would-be shoplifter before he left the store.
- The manager said the new tags make it harder for would-be shoplifters.