loot

1 of 2

noun

ˈlüt 

1

: goods usually of considerable value taken in war : spoils

The soldiers helped themselves to any loot that they could find.

2

: something held to resemble goods of value seized in war: such as

a

: something appropriated illegally often by force or violence

the thieves' loot

b

: illicit gains by public officials

c

: money

would not … spend all that loot on her

—Langston Hughes

3

: the action of looting

general loot of church land

—Hilaire Belloc

loot

2 of 2

verb

looted; looting; loots

transitive verb

1

a

: to plunder or sack in war

b

: to rob especially on a large scale and usually by violence or corruption

2

: to seize and carry away by force especially in war

intransitive verb

: to engage in robbing or plundering especially in war

looter noun

Synonyms

Noun

• booty
• pillage
• plunder
• spoil
• swag

Verb

• despoil
• maraud
• pillage
• plunder
• ransack
• sack

Choose the Right Synonym for loot

spoil, plunder, booty, prize, loot mean something taken from another by force or craft.

spoil, more commonly spoils, applies to what belongs by right or custom to the victor in war or political contest.

the spoils of political victory

plunder applies to what is taken not only in war but in robbery, banditry, grafting, or swindling.

a bootlegger's plunder

booty implies plunder to be shared among confederates.

thieves dividing up their booty

prize applies to spoils captured on the high seas or territorial waters of the enemy.

the wartime right of seizing prizes at sea

loot applies especially to what is taken from victims of a catastrophe.

picked through the ruins for loot

Examples of loot in a Sentence

Noun

After raiding the town, the soldiers helped themselves to any loot that they could find.

The thieves got a lot of loot in the robbery.

He made a lot of loot selling cars.

Verb

The soldiers were looting every house that they came to.

Soldiers swept through the territory, looting, burning, and killing.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Most of the loot was never recovered, according to court records reviewed by Forbes. —Thomas Brewster, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2024

Costco cargo, loads of mulch, sports equipment, and holiday loot all need a place to go. —Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 18 Sep. 2024

Verb

Hamas sometimes hijacks shipments or demands payments of protection money, and supplies are often looted. —Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2024

In some cases, criminal investigation information aimed at certain customers was also looted. —Michael Kan, PCMAG, 8 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Hindi & Urdu lūṭ; akin to Sanskrit luṇṭati he plunders

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1788, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1845, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Kids Definition

loot

1 of 2 noun

ˈlüt 

: something stolen or taken by force

loot

2 of 2 verb

: plunder entry 1, steal

looter noun

Legal Definition

loot

transitive verb

1

: to rob especially during or following a catastrophe (as war, riot, or natural disaster)

2

: to rob especially on a large scale and usually by violence or corruption

intransitive verb

: to engage in robbing especially after a catastrophe

looter noun