MEANING
To steal something, usually something small, secretly or opportunistically.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- filch a coin
- filch from a pocket
On the page
He filched a biscuit while she counted the plates.
Nearby words
Word forms
- Base
- filch
- Past tense
- filched
- Past participle
- filched
- Present participle
- filching
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- filch
- Present continuous
- am/is/are filching
- Present perfect
- have/has filched
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been filching
- Past
- filched
- Past continuous
- was/were filching
- Past perfect
- had filched
- Past perfect continuous
- had been filching
- Future
- will filch
- Future continuous
- will be filching
- Future perfect
- will have filched
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been filching
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: literary / elevated general. Forms: filch; filches; filched; filched; filching Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Commonness: moderately common. Third-person singular: filches.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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