Synonyms for thug

Most common

bully · goon · ruffian · hoodlum · bully boy · assassin · caveman · bruiser

All synonyms

Noun

Definitions

1. n. 1

   A person who is a member of a gang or criminal organization.

Related words

Word family

thugdom thugduggery thuggery thuggish thuggy thugness

Forms

Plural

thugs → hoodlums, bullies, ruffians, punks…

Example sentences

• bully Sami is the only bully I have ever had in my life.
• hoodlum I didn't want to add this hoodlum as a friend on Twitter.
• assassin The assassin smothered his victim with a pillow.

Popularity over time

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

4 letters

punk¹, hood¹, goon¹

5 letters

tough¹, rough¹, bully², rowdy²

6 letters

gopnik

7 letters

caveman², bruiser, ruffian, hoodlum², toughie²

8 letters

assassin³, hooligan³

9 letters

phansigar

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (bully² = 2 syllables).

In other languages

Français

casseur

Italiano

teppista