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

Key highlights of the new season include these: Crime City: A brand-new urban location has been designed for heists, loot and chaos. —Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 21 Feb. 2025

Using power tools, the group pierced the store’s vault and other secure storage areas over several hours before fleeing with millions of dollars in loot. —Max Levy, The Denver Post, 21 Feb. 2025

Verb

The announcement also acknowledged the items had been looted by British soldiers in 1897 from the Kingdom of Benin, sold, and eventually ended up in the Dutch State Collection. —Karen K. Ho, ARTnews.com, 21 Feb. 2025

An escaped convict teams up with his Italian buddy and an army deserter to plan a spectacular bank robbery, looting a U.S. military base for the necessary firepower. —Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Feb. 2025

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

Rhymes for loot

• beaut
• boot
• bruit
• brut
• brute
• chute
• coot
• cute
• flute
• fruit
• hoot
• jute

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