thug Hear it!

thug Definition

thug (t̸hug)

noun

  1. a member of a former group in India that murdered and robbed in the service of Kali
  2. a rough, brutal hoodlum, gangster, robber, etc.

Etymology: Hindi ṭhag, swindler < Sans sthaga, a cheat, rogue, akin to sthagayati, (he) hides < IE base *(s)teg-, to cover > thatch

thug Related Forms
thug·gery noun thug·gish adjective
thug Synonyms

thug

n.

thug Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • hire: The bosses used hired thugs to kill 11 miners, in an action which was hardly reported in the national media.
  • stop: If only some manufacturer would offer schools some kind of tracking devices at a reasonable cost to stop these thoughtless thugs!
  • see: Jump across, then go in to see a thug run across a hall with the girl.
  • dress: Tory chief Michael Howard described the BNP as ' a bunch of thugs dressed up as a political party ' .
  • become: Finally, if a plant has become a thug and spread too far, then consider rejuvenating pruning.
  • have: You have thugs, drug addicts, violent criminals, idiots, feral children.

Converse of subject

  • attack: Last year asylum-seekers were forced to flee the city after being attacked by thugs wearing knuckle-dusters.
  • murder: They had been murdered by the same thugs in uniform who had released them into the Mississippi night.

Adjective modifier

  • mindless: Religion, Politics or Sport are all often the excuse for mindless thugs to use violence.
  • racist: Getting rid of Bowyer should be the priority, you could do without racist thugs who fight their own teammates.
  • fascist: The fascist thugs had not figured out our plans.
  • murderous: Stalin was a murderous thug who had destroyed the revolution.
  • vicious: Maybe some of them are vicious little thugs that need a break.
  • drunken: Lots of drunken thugs are ordinary people who got carried away on a bad night.

Modifies a noun

    Noun used with modifier

    • yate: Premier Division Posted: Tue Aug 08, 2006 5:30 pm Subject: YATE TOWN THUGS!
    • street: And Salford MP and Police Minister Hazel Blears has backed the campaign and promised more resources to beat street thugs.
    • football: To add to the pressure the police warned that football thugs could turn up to support the NF.
    • town: Premier Division Posted: Tue Aug 08, 2006 5:30 pm Subject: YATE TOWN THUGS!

    Preposition: in

    • suit: Of course, the BNP is a bunch of Nazi thugs in suits.

Browse dictionary entries near thug

  1. thud
  2. Thucydides
  3. Thu
  4. thruway
  5. thruster
  6. thrust stage
  7. thrust
  8. thrush
  9. thrum
  10. thru
  1. thuggee
  2. thuja
  3. Thule
  4. thulia
  5. thulium
  6. thumb
  7. thumb index
  8. thumb piano
  9. thumbhole
  10. thumbnail