How to Talk About Crimes and Criminals
Let’s learn how to talk about crime and criminals.
Level B1/B2
Crime and Criminals Wordlist
crime – злочин
A crime is an illegal action that is punishable by law.
war crime – військовий злочин
War crimes are terrible acts committed during a war that break international rules. These crimes usually involve harming innocent people, such as civilians, prisoners, or those who cannot fight. Some common war crimes include:
- bombing homes, schools, or hospitals on purpose
- torturing prisoners captured soldiers or civilians
- using banned weapons like chemical gases or cluster bombs that cause extreme suffering
- sexual violence
- taking hostages (capturing people and not letting them go because someone wants something in return
- destroying cultural sites (damaging important buildings, such as churches or historical monuments, without a military reason)
- forcing people to leave their homes – Pushing people out of their towns and villages against their will.
a criminal – злочинець; кримінальний
A crimial is a person who commits a crime. Criminal relating to, involving, or being a crime: a criminal organisation, a criminal code, criminal damage, criminal activity, criminal behaviour.
commit a crime – вчинити злочин
To commit a crime means to do something illegal. The crime was committed by a group of six men.
theft – крадіжка
Theft is the act of stealing something.
thief (thieves) – злодій (злодії)
A thief is a person who steals.
burgle – грабувати
To burgle means to break into/to enter a building illegally and steal from (a home, business, etc.)
burglary – крадіжка зі зломом
Burglary is the crime of entering a building illegally to steal things.
a burglar – грабіжник, зломщик
A burglar is a person who breaks into buildings to steal.
rob – грабувати
To bob means to take money or property from (a person or a place) illegally and sometimes by using force, violence, or threats. Someone tried to rob me. They robbed the bank.
robbery – пограбування
Robbery is the crime of stealing from a person or place, often using violence.
robber – грабіжник, злодій
A robber is a person who commits robbery.
mug somebody – грабувати когось
To mug is to attack and rob (someone) in a public place.
mugger – грабіжник
A mugger is a person who attacks and robs another person in a public place.
mugging – грабіж з насильством в громадському місці
Mugging is stealing from a person on the street using force or threats of force.
Key Differences between theft, robbery, mugging and burglary:
- Theft can happen anywhere without confrontation; it means taking someone’s property but does not involve the use of force. Example: Shoplifting or stealing a bike from a park.
- Robbery is a type of theft that involves force, threats, or intimidation against a person to take property. Example: Mugging someone on the street or holding up a bank at gunpoint. (at gunpoint – під дулом зброї)
- Burglary involves unlawful entry, regardless of whether theft occurs. Example: Breaking into a house at night to steal valuables.
- Mugging is stealing from a person on the street using force or threats of force. Mugging is a type of robbery, but they are not exact synonyms. Robbery is a broad term for taking property from someone using force, threats, or intimidation. It can happen anywhere and in various forms (e.g., bank robbery, armed robbery). Mugging is a specific type of robbery that usually occurs in public places, like streets or parks, and often involves physical assault or the threat of violence. Example: Robbery: A person enters a store, threatens the cashier with a weapon, and takes money from the register. Mugging: A thief grabs a person’s purse on the street and punches them before running away. So, all muggings are robberies, but not all robberies are muggings.
shoplift – красти товари
To shoplift means to steal goods from a shop while pretending to be a customer.
shoplifting – крадіжка в магазині
The act of stealing goods from a shop is called shoplifting.
shoplifter – магазинний злодій
A shoplifter is a person who steals from a shop.
to pickpocket – красти з кишень
To pickpocket is to steal from the pockets of someone.
pickpocket – кишеньковий злодій
A pickpocket is a person who steals from people’s pockets or bags.
pickpocketing – кишенькові крадіжки
The act of stealing from someone’s pocket or bag in public.
loot – грабувати
To loot means to steal things, especially from shops or homes that have been damaged in a war, natural disaster or riot.
looter – мародер, грабіжник
A looter is a person who steals goods, typically during a war or riot.
looting – мародерство, грабіж
Looting is the crime of stealing things from shops or buildings after a riot, fire, etc.
to kill – вбити
To kill is to cause the death of (a person, animal, or other living thing).
killer – вбивця
A killer is a person or thing that kills.
to murder – вбити
To murder is to kill someone.
murder – вбивство
Murder is the crime of killing someone intentionally.
a murderer – вбивця
A murderer is a person who kills someone deliberately.
assassinate – вбити
To assassinate means to murder an important person for political or religious reasons.
assassin – вбивця
An assassin is a person who murders an important person for political or religious reasons.
assassination – вбивство
Assassination is the action of assassinating someone.
Difference between to kill, to murder and to assassin
All three verbs mean to cause the death of another person, but there is a difference in their meaning. To ‘kill’ means to make someone or something die. ‘Murder’ refers to the crime of deliberately causing someone’s death, while ‘assassinate’ refers to the act of taking the life of an important person.
smuggle – займатися контрабандою
To smuggle is to move goods illegally into or out of a country.
smuggling – контрабанда
Smuggling is the crime of bringing illegal goods into or out of a country.
smuggler – контрабандист
A smuggler is a person who secretly transports illegal goods.
vandal –вандал, хуліган
A vandal is a person who damages property intentionally.
vandalise – руйнувати, пошкоджувати
To vandalise is deliberately destroy or damage public or private property.
vandalism – The crime of damaging property on purpose.
Vandalism is the action involving deliberate destruction of or damage to public or private property.
arson – підпал
Arson is the crime of setting fire to property on purpose.
arsonist – підпалювач
An arsonist is a person who sets fire to property on purpose.
set fire to (a building, etc.) – підпалити (будівлю і т. ін.)
deal drugs – продавати наркотики
To deal drugs is to sell illegal drugs.
drug dealer – наркодилер
A drug dealer is a person who sells illegal drugs.
drug-dealing – торгівля наркотиками
Drug-dealing is the activity of selling illegal drugs.
drug trafficking – торгівля наркотиками
Drug trafficking is a global illegal trade involving the cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of illegal drugs.
kidnap – викрасти, вивозити силоміць
To kidnap means to take a person away illegally by force, usually in order to demand money in exchange for releasing them.
kidnapping – викрадання людей
The crime of taking someone by force and demanding money or conditions for their release.
kidnapper – викрадач людей
A person who takes someone by force and demands something in return.
fraud – шахрайство, обман
Fraud is the crime of cheating or tricking someone to get money or benefits. Examples: Manipulating financial information for personal or corporate gain; using someone else’s personal information without permission (e.g., identity theft, credit card fraud); fake online sales, pyramid schemes; etc.
fraudster – шахрай
A frudster is a person who commits fraud.
to blackmail – шантажувати
To blackmail is to force somebody to give you money or do something for you by threatening them.
blackmail – шантаж
Blackmail is the crime of demanding money or favors by threatening to reveal secrets.
blackmailer – шантажист
A blackmailer is someone who threatens to tell a harmful secret about another person in order to try to force them to do something
cybercrime – кіберзлочинність
Cybercrime is when someone uses a computer, the internet, or other technology to commit a crime. It can involve stealing information, tricking people, or damaging systems. Cybercriminals can be individuals, groups, or even organizations.
hack – зломати
To hack is to illegally access a computer system, network, or online account in order to find, use, or change the information it contains.
hacking – злом
The crime of illegally accessing computer systems in order to find out information or do something illegal.
hacker – хакер
A hacker is a person who illegally enters computer systems.
forge – підробляти
To forge means to make or copy (something, such as a document, signature, banknote) falsely in order to deceive someone.
forger – підроблювач, фальшивомонетник
A forger is a person who makes illegal copies of money, documents, etc. in order to cheat people.
forgery – підробка
The crime of making fake documents or money.
petty crimes – дрібні злочини
A petty crime is a type of crime that is not considered serious.
Here are some exercises to help you practice the “Crime and Criminals” vocabulary.
Exercise 1: Crime and Criminals: Match the crime with the criminal.
- theft
- burglary
- robberyk
- kidnapping
- smuggling
- arson
- pickpocketing
- vandalism
- hacking
- fraud
a) smuggler
b) kidnapper
c) burglar
d) fraudster
e) pickpocket
f) robber
g) vandal
h) arsonist
i) thief
j) hacker
Exercise 2. Complete the sentences with the correct crime-related word.
- The police arrested a __________ (person who steals from a store) for taking clothes without paying.
- The __________ (person who damages public property) painted graffiti on the walls of the school.
- The company lost millions because of __________ (crime of cheating for money).
- The __________ (person who secretly enters a building to steal) broke into a house last night.
- The bank was targeted in a __________ (crime of stealing from a bank with force) yesterday.
Exercise 3. Crime and Criminals: Complete the sentences with the correct form of the word in CAPITALS.
Example: Pickpocketing is increasing on buses and trains nowadays. PICKPOCKET
- There was a _____________ at the bank yesterday. ROBBER
- There have been two _____________ in our street this month. BURGLAR
- Public buildings sometimes get damaged due to_____________. VANDAL
- _____________ is a major problem for this store. SHOPLIFTER
- Police often warn drivers about the problem of _____________ from vehicles. THIEF
- Spray-painting the walls of public property is a form of _________________. VANDAL
- At least one _________________ from someone’s house takes place every week in this city. BURGLAR
- Stores lose a lot of their goods every week through _________________ SHOPLIFTER
- If someone steals your things, this is called _________________. THIEF
- Two bank _________________ took place in the city last week. ROBBER
There are good and bad sides to using electronic bracelets to punish criminals.
On the good side, electronic bracelets help criminals stay out of prison. This means they can continue working, studying, and taking care of their families. It also saves money because keeping people in prison is very expensive. With the bracelet, the police can always see where the person is, so they know if they follow the rules. This helps keep people safe. Also, prisons are often too full, so electronic bracelets help by giving space to more dangerous criminals.
However, there are also problems. Some criminals try to break or remove the bracelet. If the system does not work well, it may send wrong signals, and the police might think the person did something bad even if they didn’t. People who wear electronic bracelets may also feel ashamed because others see them as criminals. Sometimes, it is difficult for them to find a job because of this. Also, the rules are very strict, and if they make a small mistake, they could go to prison.
In the end, electronic bracelets can be a good way to punish some criminals, especially those who are not dangerous. But they do not work for everyone, and there are still many challenges.
What kind of punishment is public shaming?
Sometimes, when a person commits a crime, they are not sent to prison but punished in a different way. For example, if someone steals, they might have to stand in a public place with a sign that says, “I am a thief and a burglar.” This kind of punishment is called public shaming or public humiliation.
There are some good things about this punishment. First, it can stop people from committing crimes because they do not want to feel ashamed in front of others. It also saves money because the person does not have to stay in prison, which is very expensive. Another benefit is that the punishment is fast, so the person does not lose years of their life in jail. Also, when victims see the criminal being punished, they may feel that justice has been done.
However, there are also many problems. Public shaming can be very harsh and make people feel depressed or hopeless. Some criminals do not feel shame, so this punishment does not always work. If people take pictures and post them online, the person’s reputation can be ruined forever, even if they change. Public shaming can also lead to bullying, with some people using it to mock or hurt others. Lastly, if someone is wrongly accused, their life could be destroyed for no reason.
In the end, public shaming may work for small crimes, but it can also cause a lot of harm. It is important to ask: does this punishment really help criminals become better, or does it just make their lives worse?
There are different ways to punish criminals. Some common punishments include:
Prison – Criminals stay in jail for a period of time.
Fines – Criminals must pay money as punishment.
Community Service – Criminals work for free to help society.
Probation – Criminals are free but must follow strict rules.
House Arrest – Criminals must stay at home and cannot go out.
Death Penalty – In some countries, serious criminals are executed.
Rehabilitation Programs – Criminals join programs to change their behavior.
Different countries use different punishments, depending on the crime.