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Glite Dictionary
🕵️ Stealing from pockets 🕵️ To steal secretly
to pickpocketing

to pickpocketing

4.6
To steal small items, especially money, from someone's pocket or bag without them noticing
  • verb
  • /ˈpɪkˌpɒkɪtɪŋ/
translation icon : robar
  • And we almost got pickpocketed twice by two pickpockets who were really bad at pickpocketing, which is why we caught them.

Examples

  • Will the Prime Minister take responsibility for this policy, speak to the BBC and find a solution that doesn't pickpocket pensioners?

  • He was a victim of pickpocketing when his wallet was stolen in the crowded subway.

  • Tourists should be careful and avoid pickpocketing, especially in busy markets.

  • She quickly realized that pickpocketing was common in the busy train station.

Synonyms

to rip off
vsto pickpocketing
  • Informal
79 6.3

To steal something quickly without the owner knowing

applies more to stealing specifically small valuables from people's garments unnoticed
to pick
vsto pickpocketing
58 8.4

To steal small things from someone's pocket or bag

focuses specifically on money and small valuables rather than any item
to swipe
vsto pickpocketing
  • Informal
49 5.5

To take something quickly without the owner noticing

refers to secret theft from people's clothing or bags rather than casual grabs
to pocket
vsto pickpocketing
47 3.7

To hide something quickly in a small bag sewn into your clothing

means stealing small valuables from people's clothing or bags without their notice
to pilfer
vsto pickpocketing
16 6.5

To steal small things of little value, often a little at a time

takes similar small valuables but usually as single secret acts from people
to purloin
vsto pickpocketing
4 9.6

To steal something secretly or dishonestly

focuses on taking money and small valuables from people's clothing unnoticed
to filch
vsto pickpocketing
4 8.4

To steal a small thing quietly when no one is looking

takes the same items but specifically from people's clothing or bags
to hook
vsto pickpocketing
  • Slang
3 9.1

To steal something, especially quickly in a crowded place

is narrower, meaning secret theft of small items from people's clothing or bags

Surface Forms

pickpocketing infinitive
pickpocketed past
pickpocketed past participle
pickpocketing present participle
pickpockets third person singular

Morphology

pickpocketing = pickpocket (transparent) = pick + pocket + ing

Present-participle/continuous form built from the verb 'pickpocket' with '-ing', so the action is directly derived from the base.

Etymology

Pickpocketing (the verb) comes from the same two words: pick 'to take or pull out quickly' and pocket 'a small bag in clothing'. So, to pickpocket is to quietly steal something from someone's pocket or bag without them noticing.