Vocabulary Related to Crime

Vocabulary Related to Crime (Meanings, Criminals & Verbs) – B2/C1

Hello, English learners! Welcome to a new lesson. Today, we will explore vocabulary related to crime, including common types of crime, the people who commit them, and the verbs used to describe criminal actions. This topic is especially useful for B2–C1 learners, exam essays, news articles, and discussions about society and law.

Crime Vocabulary Table

Blackmail	threatening someone to make them do something, usually by revealing damaging information	blackmailer	to blackmail
Bribery	giving money or favours to someone in power to influence their actions	briber / bribee	to bribe
Burglary	illegally entering a building to steal something	burglar	to burgle / to break in
Cyberbullying	bullying or harassment using digital devices or the internet	cyberbully	to cyberbully
Drug dealing	illegal selling and distribution of drugs	drug dealer	to deal drugs
Fraud	deception intended to gain money or personal benefit	fraudster	to commit fraud / to defraud
Hacking	illegal access to computer systems or data	hacker	to hack
Hijacking	taking control of a vehicle (plane, ship, bus) by force	hijacker	to hijack
Human trafficking	exploiting people through force, coercion, or deception	human trafficker	to traffic people
Kidnapping	abducting and holding someone against their will	kidnapper	to kidnap
Mugging	violent theft in a public place	mugger	to mug
Murder	the unlawful and intentional killing of a person	murderer	to murder
Racism	prejudice or discrimination based on race	racist	to discriminate
Rape	sexual assault involving forced sexual intercourse	rapist	to rape
Robbery	stealing from a person using force or threat	robber	to rob
Smuggling	illegal movement of goods or people across borders	smuggler	to smuggle
Stalking	repeated harassment or following of a person	stalker	to stalk
Terrorism	violence used to achieve political or religious aims	terrorist	to carry out an attack / to terrorise
Theft	taking something dishonestly with the intention of keeping it	thief	to steal
Vandalism	deliberate damage to public or private property	vandal	to vandalise

Example Sentences

The blackmailer threatened to reveal private information unless he was paid.
The politician was arrested for trying to bribe government officials.
The burglar broke into the house while the family was on holiday.
Cyberbullying can have serious psychological effects on young people.
Police arrested a drug dealer selling substances near a school.
The company collapsed after years of financial fraud.
A hacker managed to access confidential customer data.
The hijacker forced the pilot to change course.
Several victims were rescued from a human trafficking network.
The kidnapper demanded a ransom for the child’s release.
A mugger attacked a man and stole his phone.
The murderer was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Racist behaviour often leads to discrimination and social tension.
The rapist received a long prison sentence.
The robber escaped after stealing jewellery from the shop.
Criminals were caught smuggling weapons across the border.
She reported the stalker to the police after weeks of harassment.
Authorities stopped a terrorist attack before it could take place.
The thief stole valuable equipment from the warehouse.
The vandal was caught vandalising public buildings.

Final Tip for Learners

When writing or speaking about crime:

vary your vocabulary instead of repeating crime or criminal
use precise verbs (burgle, mug, defraud) to sound more advanced
be careful with collocations (commit a crime, carry out an attack)

This kind of accuracy is exactly what exam markers look for at B2 and C1 level.

Learn how to talk about social media in English here

Learn collocations for expressing opinions in English here

Learn how to write a B2 First essay here

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3 Comments

Mohammed · 5 May 2025 at 8:36 am

Thanks for improving my English vocabulary

My Lingua Academy · 5 May 2025 at 8:59 am

You’re welcome!

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