crooks
word · lemma: crook
/ˈkɹʊks/
kruuks
/kɹˈʊks/
kruuks
Definition
People who cheat, steal, or break the law, especially for money. 'Crooks' is an informal and negative term for criminals, often used for thieves and scammers.
Usage & Nuances
'Crooks' is very informal and always negative, mostly for thieves, scammers, or corrupt people. Common phrases: 'a bunch of crooks', 'catch the crooks'. Not used in formal writing. Do not use for serious violent criminals (like murderers).
Spanish: ladrones - estafadoresPortuguese (BR): ladrões - vigaristasPortuguese (PT): ladrões - vigaristasChinese (Simplified): 骗子 - 小偷Chinese (Traditional): 騙子 - 小偷Hindi: चोर - ठगArabic: لصوص - محتالونBengali: ধোঁকাবাজ - চোর - প্রতারকRussian: мошенники - жуликиJapanese: 詐欺師 - 泥棒Vietnamese: kẻ lừa đảo - kẻ trộmKorean: 사기꾼 - 도둑Turkish: düzenbaz - dolandırıcı - hırsızUrdu: دھوکہ باز - چورIndonesian: penipu - pencuri
Example Sentences
Those crooks tried to sell fake tickets.
basic
Don’t trust those guys—they’re total crooks.
natural
Looks like those crooks got away again!
natural
That deal was run by a bunch of crooks.
natural
The police arrested two crooks last night.
basic
The crooks stole my wallet on the bus.
basic