noun
thug
thuhg
noun
1
A violent, aggressive criminal, often acting as part of a gang.
"The neighborhood was terrorized by a gang of thugs."
"Local thugs demanded protection money from shop owners."
How to Use Thug
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA violent, threatening criminal.
Common mistake
Historically referred to a specific Indian criminal network (the Thuggee); modern English usage is broader and refers to any violent criminal.
Common pairings
a gang of thugs
street thug
Word Forms
thugged past tense, thugs plural, thugs singular
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Etymology
Borrowed from Hindi thag, "swindler" or "cheat," originally referring to a network of gangs in India who robbed and murdered travelers. The English sense broadened to "violent criminal" by the mid-1800s.