What is the difference between these words: Грабёж, ограбление, хищение, воровство, разбой. Thank you!

Answer

Hello John!

Грабёж and ограбление are synonyms, but грабёж is more used in figurative meaning. Грабёж is also more used if it is a general repeated action.

For example,

Это грабёж! Банк взял с меня огромную комиссию!  It is unfair! The bank charged me a huge fee!

Он занимался грабежами. He was involved in robbery.

Хищение is always used with another noun, normally имущества or крупной суммы and is only used in formal speech, as a legal term.

Он был обвинён в хищении имущества фирмы. He was accused of embezzlement of the property of the company.

Воровство is theft, so it is normally not violent.

Разбой is extremely violent robbery.

Actually, the difference is very subtle, and sometimes even Russians do not know it.

You can read an article about it in Russian: http://ugolovnyi-expert.com/otlichie-grabezha-ot-razboya/