Word page
To embezzle means to steal money that has been entrusted to you, especially in a workplace or official role. It belongs to ridiculous verbs and works best in comic action, lively dialogue, and verbs that do more than plain “move” or “say”. It still feels usable today, especially when you want a word with more character than the plainest alternative.
Embezzle means to steal money that has been entrusted to you, especially in a workplace or official role. It is usually pronounced em-BEZ-ul, and today it is still readable to modern audiences, even if it sounds more deliberate than everyday speech.
If you embezzle, you to steal money that has been entrusted to you, especially in a workplace or official role. The verb usually suggests something more expressive, comic, or textured than a plain everyday substitute.
Embezzle feels absurd because the shape of it looks and sounds a little awkward in exactly the right way, which helps it stick in the ear.
Embezzle is generally traced to origin uncertain. In modern use, the history matters less than the strong tone the word still carries.
Embezzle is still usable today, especially when you want language that feels more distinctive than the plainest modern alternative.
Use embezzle when a plain action verb feels too flat and you want the sentence to carry more motion, tone, or comic texture. It works especially well in comic action, lively dialogue, and verbs that do more than plain “move” or “say”.
bamboozle, beclown, bedaub, befuddle, besmirch
stillness, restraint, straightforward action
Edited by Absurd Words. Last updated: May 9, 2026. See the editorial policy for how definitions, examples, labels, and update checks are handled on the site.
