Explanation at your level:
To rob means to take things from someone in a bad way. If you use a weapon or force to take a bag from a person, you rob them. It is a crime.
You use rob when someone takes property from a person or a building. For example, 'The thief tried to rob the bank.' Remember, we rob a person or a place, but we steal objects.
Rob is a verb used to describe the act of taking property illegally. It implies the use of force or threat. It is common to say 'He was robbed at gunpoint.' Note the difference: you steal money, but you rob a person.
The verb rob is specific to the victim. It highlights the violation of the person or the institution. In formal contexts, it is used to describe systemic theft or the deprivation of rights, such as 'The injustice robbed them of their freedom.'
Beyond the literal criminal sense, rob carries a strong nuance of deprivation. It is frequently used in figurative language to describe the loss of abstract qualities. For instance, 'The long illness robbed her of her vitality.' This usage emphasizes that something essential was taken away against the subject's will.
At the C2 level, one recognizes the etymological connection between rob and robe, reflecting the historical act of stripping someone of their garments. In literary contexts, it conveys a sense of profound loss or violation. It functions as a powerful transitive verb that establishes a clear subject-victim relationship, often used to critique social or moral failures where an entity is 'robbed' of its inherent value or potential.
Wort in 30 Sekunden
- Rob means to take illegally.
- Focuses on the victim.
- Use 'rob a place/person'.
- Never 'rob an object'.
When we use the verb rob, we are talking about a serious action. It is not just taking something; it is taking it illegally and usually with force or fear.
Think of the difference between stealing and robbing. If you take a pen from a desk when no one is looking, that is stealing. If you walk up to someone, threaten them, and take their wallet, that is robbing them. The word focuses on the victim—the person or the place that was targeted.
The word rob has a fascinating history that traces back to the Germanic languages. It comes from the Old French word rober, which itself was borrowed from the Germanic word raubon, meaning to plunder or strip.
In medieval times, this word was closely linked to the idea of taking clothes off someone's back, which is why it is related to the word robe. Imagine someone being stripped of their clothing; that is the root of the concept of being robbed!
You will most often hear rob used in news reports or crime stories. It is a transitive verb, meaning it needs an object. You rob a person or you rob a place (like a bank or a store).
A common mistake is saying 'robbed the money.' You don't rob money; you steal money. You rob a bank of its money. Keep that distinction in mind to sound like a native speaker!
Rob Peter to pay Paul: This means to take money from one source to pay a debt to another, which does not actually solve the problem. Example: 'I had to borrow from my savings to pay my credit card, just robbing Peter to pay Paul.'
Rob someone blind: To steal a large amount of money from someone, often through trickery. Example: 'The dishonest accountant robbed the company blind.'
Rob the cradle: To date someone much younger than yourself. Example: 'He is 40 and she is 20; his friends say he is robbing the cradle.'
Rob someone of their dignity: To cause someone to lose their self-respect. Example: 'The harsh public criticism robbed him of his dignity.'
Rob someone of an opportunity: To prevent someone from having a chance to do something. Example: 'The rain robbed us of the chance to play the final match.'
The verb rob is a regular verb. The past tense and past participle are robbed, and the present participle is robbing. Note the double 'b' when adding the suffix!
The pronunciation is /rɒb/ in British English and /rɑːb/ in American English. It rhymes with job, sob, knob, blob, and throb. The stress is always on the single syllable.
Fun Fact
It is related to the word 'robe' because thieves would steal the clothes off people's backs.
Pronunciation Guide
Short 'o' sound, like 'hot'.
Open 'ah' sound, like 'father'.
Common Errors
- Pronouncing it like 'robe'.
- Adding an extra syllable.
- Confusing 'b' and 'p' sounds.
Rhymes With
Difficulty Rating
Clear usage
Requires grammar care
Common word
Easy to hear
What to Learn Next
Prerequisites
Learn Next
Fortgeschritten
Grammar to Know
Transitive Verbs
Rob needs an object.
Passive Voice
He was robbed.
Double Consonants
Robbing.
Examples by Level
The man tried to rob the store.
man / tried / take / store
verb + object
He was robbed yesterday.
he / taken from / yesterday
passive voice
Don't rob me!
do not / take from / me
imperative
The police stopped the rob.
police / stopped / the / crime
noun usage (rare)
They rob banks.
they / take from / banks
simple present
I saw them rob the lady.
I / saw / them / take from / lady
verb + object + verb
Did they rob you?
did / they / take from / you
past question
He will rob the shop.
he / will / take from / shop
future tense
The thief robbed the old woman.
They were robbed in the park.
He went to jail for robbing a shop.
Don't rob people of their time.
The gang robbed the jewelry store.
She was robbed of her necklace.
Why did they rob the bank?
He was caught robbing the house.
The masked men robbed the bank at noon.
She was robbed of her belongings while traveling.
He feels robbed of his youth by the war.
The company was robbed of its reputation.
They were robbed at gunpoint in the alley.
The team was robbed of a fair victory.
He was accused of robbing the local post office.
It is a crime to rob a person of their rights.
The scandal robbed the politician of his credibility.
She was robbed of the chance to say goodbye.
The heavy taxes rob the citizens of their savings.
He was robbed of his dignity by the harsh treatment.
The team felt robbed by the referee's bad call.
The fire robbed the family of their home.
He was robbed of his peace of mind.
They were robbed of their opportunity to succeed.
The sudden tragedy robbed them of their joy.
His illness robbed him of the ability to walk.
The corrupt system robbed the people of their future.
She was robbed of her inheritance by a greedy relative.
The silence of the night was robbed by the loud music.
The long wait robbed the audience of their patience.
He was robbed of his legacy by the false accusations.
The harsh winter robbed the trees of their leaves.
The betrayal robbed him of his last shred of faith.
The regime robbed the nation of its cultural heritage.
She was robbed of her autonomy by the strict rules.
The experience robbed the artist of his creative spark.
The darkness robbed the room of its warmth.
He was robbed of his chance at redemption.
The loss robbed the community of its leader.
The complexity of the case robbed the jury of clarity.
Häufige Kollokationen
Idioms & Expressions
"Rob Peter to pay Paul"
Fixing one problem by creating another
I am robbing Peter to pay Paul with these loans.
casual"Rob someone blind"
Steal everything from someone
The scammers robbed the elderly couple blind.
casual"Rob the cradle"
Date someone much younger
He is definitely robbing the cradle.
casual"Rob someone of their dignity"
Humiliate someone
The boss robbed her of her dignity in the meeting.
formal"Rob the scene"
Steal from a crime location
They returned to rob the scene.
neutral"Rob someone of their peace"
Disturb someone's calm
The noise robbed me of my peace.
neutralEasily Confused
both mean taking
steal = object, rob = victim
Steal a pen, rob a person.
both involve crime
burgle = building, rob = person/place
Burgle a house, rob a bank.
both involve force
mug = public space, rob = general
Mug in the street, rob a bank.
both mean taking
loot = mass theft
Loot the city during riots.
Sentence Patterns
Subject + rob + person + of + thing
He robbed me of my wallet.
Subject + rob + place
They robbed the bank.
Passive: Person + be + robbed + of + thing
I was robbed of my bag.
Subject + rob + someone + blind
They robbed him blind.
Subject + rob + someone + of + abstract
It robbed me of my hope.
Wortfamilie
Nouns
Verbs
Adjectives
Verwandt
How to Use It
8
Formality Scale
Häufige Fehler
Rob takes a person or place as the object, not the item.
You rob a person of a wallet, or you steal a wallet.
It is redundant to say 'of money' as robbing a bank implies money.
Burgle is better for houses, rob is for people.
You cannot be robbed by an object; you are robbed by a person.
Tips
The Golden Rule
Rob a person, steal a thing.
Double the B
Always double the b for robbing/robbed.
Robin Hood
He was a 'robber' who helped people.
Short Vowel
Keep the 'o' short.
Avoid Redundancy
Don't say 'robbed the money'.
Etymology
Linked to the word robe.
Context
Use it with police stories.
Figurative Use
Used for losing opportunities.
Prepositions
Use 'of' after rob.
Visuals
Draw a bank robber.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
ROB is a ROBber.
Visual Association
A man in a mask taking a bag.
Word Web
Herausforderung
Write a sentence about a bank robbery.
Wortherkunft
Germanic
Original meaning: To strip of clothing
Kultureller Kontext
Avoid using it lightly to describe minor inconveniences.
Commonly used in news and legal contexts.
Practice in Real Life
Real-World Contexts
Crime Reporting
- armed robbery
- suspect robbed
- police investigation
Everyday Life
- robbed of my time
- robbed of the chance
Legal Proceedings
- convicted of robbery
- robbery charge
Literature
- robbed of dignity
- robbed of legacy
Conversation Starters
"Have you ever been robbed?"
"What do you think is the worst kind of robbery?"
"Is stealing ever justified?"
"How do you protect your home?"
"What does 'rob Peter to pay Paul' mean to you?"
Journal Prompts
Write about a time you felt robbed of an opportunity.
Describe a fictional bank robbery.
Discuss the difference between stealing and robbing.
How can we prevent robberies in our neighborhood?
Häufig gestellte Fragen
8 FragenNo, rob focuses on the victim/place, steal focuses on the object.
No, say 'My phone was stolen' or 'I was robbed of my phone'.
Yes, robbed/robbing.
Robbery.
Yes, usually force or threat.
No, usually for significant property.
Yes, figuratively (e.g., robbed of profit).
To keep the vowel sound short.
Teste dich selbst
The thief tried to ___ the bank.
Rob is used for places.
Which sentence is correct?
Stole is for objects, rob is for people.
You can rob a wallet.
You steal a wallet.
Word
Bedeutung
Different objects for different verbs.
He tried to rob the bank.
Ergebnis: /5
Summary
Always remember: you steal an object, but you rob a person or a place.
- Rob means to take illegally.
- Focuses on the victim.
- Use 'rob a place/person'.
- Never 'rob an object'.
The Golden Rule
Rob a person, steal a thing.
Double the B
Always double the b for robbing/robbed.
Robin Hood
He was a 'robber' who helped people.
Short Vowel
Keep the 'o' short.
