bargain and steal share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. bargain means “an agreement between parties (usually arrived at after discussion) fixing obligations of each”. steal means “take without the owner's consent”. steal is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈbɑɹɡən/
1.n.an agreement between parties (usually arrived at after discussion) fixing obligations of each
“he made a bargain with the devil”
2.n.an advantageous purchase
“she got a bargain at the auction”
3.v.negotiate the terms of an exchange
“We bargained for a beautiful rug in the bazaar”
/ˈstil/
1.v.take without the owner's consent
“Someone stole my wallet on the train”
2.v.move stealthily
“The ship slipped away in the darkness”
3.v.steal a base
| bargain | steal | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈbɑɹɡən/ | /ˈstil/ |
| Said | BAHR-guhn | steel |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Letters | 7 | 5 |
| Parts of speech | noun, verb | verb, noun |
| Senses | 4 | 5 |
| How common | Common | Core |
| Synonyms | deal | rip off, rip |
Full entry for bargain · Full entry for steal · More comparisons