Robbing

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The act of unlawfully taking property from an individual by using force or threats involves depriving the owner of their possessions through intimidation
2. The act of forcefully seizing belongings from someone against their will
3. Illegally obtaining another person's possessions through intimidation or violence

Etymology: Robbing is the present participle and gerund of "rob," so the story belongs to the verb. "Rob" came into English in the late 1200s from Old French "rober," meaning to seize or plunder, and that Old French verb probably came from a Germanic source, related to the Old High German "roubôn," which meant to take booty or spoil. The idea of taking by force was there from the start, and the word's older sense included the spoils of war as well as personal theft. The most surprising twist is that "rob" once travelled further than English thieves ever did. Old French "rober" was itself a borrowing of a Germanic word for taking spoil, and the same root gave English "robe," which originally meant a garment or the spoils of war stripped from a defeated enemy. The two words only parted ways later, leaving "robbing" with its grim, forceful core.

Synonyms: stealing, plundering, looting

Antonyms: giving, donating