kleptomaniac
5
8.9
- noun
- /ˌklɛp.təˈmeɪ.ni.æk/
- Specialized
:
kleptómano
- The police caught him stealing again; everyone knew he was a kleptomaniac.
- kind of a kleptomaniac
Examples
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There's a kleptomaniac.
-
For one thing, he is definitely a kleptomaniac.
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Well, I heard stories that he was a kleptomaniac.
-
"My daughter is a kleptomaniac."
Fiction book (1995) -
Oh, did I mention she is a lifelong kleptomaniac?
Blog text (17) -
But we shouldn't cast off the kleptomaniac because they also have a disease.
-
He's the town kleptomaniac.
-
I'M A KLEPTOMANIAC.
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She struggles with being a kleptomaniac, often taking things she doesn't need.
-
After stealing from the store, he was identified as a kleptomaniac by the psychologist.
Synonyms
754
1.0
A person who takes someone else's things without permission
153
3.9
A dishonest person who cheats or steals
4
4.6
A person who takes things that belong to others without permission
2
9.9
A person who often steals small things
2
7.6
A person who secretly steals things without using force
1
9.2
A person who steals things
1
7.3
A person who steals small things without using force
Tends to steal small things
A person who steals things secretly
How Compulsive
Surface Forms
Morphology
kleptomaniac = kleptomania (semi-transparent) = klepto + mania + iac
The structure is compositional (klepto- 'steal' + -iac 'person with mania'), but 'klepto-' is a Greek combining form not a standalone English word, so learners may not recognize the parts.
Etymology
Kleptomaniac comes from Greek parts klepto- meaning 'to steal' and -mania meaning 'madness'. It's like the word maniac for someone with extreme urges, so a kleptomaniac is a person who cannot control the urge to steal.