hooligan

noun

ˈhü-li-gən How to pronounce hooligan (audio)
Definition of hooligannext
as in thug
a violent, brutal person who is often a member of an organized gang London bobbies clearing the streets of hooligans

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hooligan Follows 19-year-old hooligan Tommy (Boon), who revels in a life of drugs, parties and violence. — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 6 Mar. 2026 The actions of hooligans following the Knicks championship is inexcusable. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 17 June 2026 Another problem identified by the immigration law judge was that a social group consisting of Serbian soccer players who are victims of violence from soccer hooligans is too fluid. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 2 July 2026 Between the hooligan-ish behavior in New York City, San Antonio's desperation not to go down 3-1 and the chippiness of this series, Game 4 of the NBA Finals should be the most intense basketball game so far this season. — Geoff Clark Outkick, FOXNews.com, 10 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for hooligan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hooligan
  1. thug
  2. criminal
  3. gangster
  4. bandit
  5. villain
  6. hoodlum
  7. pirate
Noun
  • Alyssa Thomas' thug-like play, punching Caitlin Clark in the throat and kneeing her in the groin, is indefensible.
    — Jon Root OutKick, FOXNews.com, 27 June 2026
  • Ditto Hugh Jackman’s unerring performance — perhaps his finest dramatic work yet — as a savage, unfeeling thug and unrepentant murderer and thief.
    — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 18 June 2026
Definition of thug
Noun
  • Data that appears to be compliance information to a regulator can appear to be a target list to a criminal.
    — Susie Violet Ward, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • The Colorado attorney general oversees more than 700 attorneys and staff and manages legal manners spanning consumer protection, civil rights, criminal, water, constitutional and environmental law.
    — Jesse Sarles, CBS News, 1 July 2026
Definition of criminal
Noun
  • One of the first films of its kind, this lesbian gangster heist thriller delivers suspense and humor.
    — Liam Hess, Vogue, 28 June 2026
  • The 16 reputed gangsters or aspiring gangsters charged in the indictment range in age from 19 to 24.
    — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 27 June 2026
Definition of gangster
Noun
  • Instead, most are romantic stories about young lovers separated by fate, and the rest are swashbuckling adventures full of bandits and pirates.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 June 2026
  • Fantastical adventures ensue as the pair encounter a mysterious woman, Alexandra, who has lost her son, along with coyotes, bandits, and some pretty big secrets.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 29 June 2026
Definition of bandit
Noun
  • There are probably easier ways to mount a crime thriller steeped in gritty realism than centering it on a villain made of gas.
    — Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 6 July 2026
  • That doesn’t mean Netherlands players are villains, or anything less than heroes for their country.
    — AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 6 July 2026
Definition of villain
Noun
  • In the past decade, the leadership of the Kinahan organization has become rich and cosmopolitan, and their life styles have started to resemble those of international businessmen more than of street hoodlums.
    — Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 30 Apr. 2026
  • The Knesset recently legalized the death penalty for Arabs who murder Jews, but not for the hoodlum Israeli settlers who have been killing West Bank residents to seize their land.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 17 Apr. 2026
Definition of hoodlum
Noun
  • The age of sail, when pirates like Johnny Depp’s fictional Jack Sparrow roamed the seven seas, ended about 200 years ago.
    — Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 1 July 2026
  • Eight pages later, Leucippe has to fake her own beheading to escape from pirates.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 June 2026
Definition of pirate

Browse Nearby Words

hook up (with)
hooligan
hooliganism
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hooligan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hooligan. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on hooligan

Nglish: Translation of hooligan for Spanish Speakers

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