thief in the night

/θiːf ɪn ðə naɪt/

noun

Something stealthy or that occurs without warning.

OriginAncient Greek κλέπτης ἐν νυκτί →
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Meanings

nounthief in the night (plural thieves in the night)

plural thieves in the night

  1. Something stealthy or that occurs without warning.

    For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

    1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 1 Thessalonians 5:2

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekκλέπτης ἐν νυκτί
  2. Englishthief in the night

A calque from Ancient Greek κλέπτης ἐν νυκτί (kléptēs en nuktí).

More words from Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

thief in the night. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/thief%20in%20the%20night

MLA

“thief in the night.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/thief%20in%20the%20night. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “thief in the night,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/thief%20in%20the%20night.

Source: thief in the night on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.