thug

nounhoodlum

Synonyms for thug

noun hoodlum

Antonyms for thug

gangster

noun. person involved in illegal activities

Word Origin & History

1810, "member of a gang of murderers and robbers in India who strangled their victims," from Marathi thag, thak "cheat, swindler," Hindi thag, perhaps from Sanskrit sthaga-s "cunning, fraudulent," possibly from sthagayati "(he) covers, conceals," from PIE root *(s)teg- "cover" (see stegosaurus). Transferred sense of "ruffian, cutthroat" first recorded 1839. The more correct Indian name is phanseegur, and the activity was described in English as far back as c.1665. Rigorously prosecuted by the British from 1831, they were driven from existence, but the process extended over the rest of the 19c.

Example Sentences forthug

I'm going to catch this thug and I'll tell you how I'll do it.

His fist hit the thug in the elbow, just as the man's hand reached for his knife.

About every day I have to send for the sheriff and have some thug arrested.

Of course it seemed ridiculous that a Thug should strangle the old man.

He had changed from a thug into a determined, ambitious man.

Some of the Thug leaders of Oude were noted for their successful careers.

And yet one of these people is a Thug and the other a mother of Thugs!

It may be that the leader is neither thief nor thug, but ambitious.

That villa was the one thing needed when the thug made a bee-line for the farm.

Both were striking instances, but the Thug's particularly so.

thug

Synonyms for thug

Antonyms for thug

criminal

criminals

desperado

gangster

goon

thug

Synonyms for thug

Antonyms for thug

More words related to thug

abuser

criminal

criminals

desperado

gangster

goon