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 As soccer fans well know, hooligans are rowdy gangs that engage in violent behavior on game days. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 13 July 2026 But the victims were labeled as hooligans, and many survivors and victims' families felt the government had not done enough to investigate. — Lauren Frayer, NPR, 9 July 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 The actions of hooligans following the Knicks championship is inexcusable. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 17 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
  • These low-level thugs typically are not believed to be formally aligned with Iran.
    — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Borisov, who broke through as a thug with a poet’s soul in the 2024 Anora, vests Ilya with the same spiritual contours.
    — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of thug
Noun
  • That same month, criminals nabbed a $4 million diamond necklace from Vienna’s Museum of Applied Arts (MAK).
    — Lianne Kolirin, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026
  • For decades, Hollywood actor Danny Trejo’s bread and butter was playing gangsters, prison inmates and other assorted criminals.
    — Corky Siemaszko, NBC news, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of criminal
Noun
  • Certain alleyways were favored for chases and gangster murders.
    — Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
  • When citizens rioted in 1918 because the prices of essential commodities such as rice had spiralled out of control, gangsters were hired to crack down on the protesters.
    — Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of gangster
Noun
  • The father pulls over, and the car is immediately swarmed over by bandits, who brutally kill him — plus his wife and two kids — with no mercy.
    — Damon Wise, Deadline, 12 Oct. 2026
  • In the decade of violent conflicts that followed, attacks on border towns and seizures of American property by revolutionaries and bandits prompted the United States to send two military expeditions into Mexico.
    — Robert B. Zoellick, Foreign Affairs, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of bandit
Noun
  • Rival fans were quick to jump all over this fact, given that both the Panthers and the Tkachuk brothers were seen as polarizing villains throughout the NHL.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Is that the most difficult thing for you as the showrunner of a political show today — a president as a villain?
    — Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of villain
Noun
  • His warning was meant for American eyes and ears at least as much — if not more so — than for the government in Jerusalem that until now has encouraged the hoodlums by tolerating their violence.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Also in his orbit are a consortium of crooks, including his cousin Freddie, a hip junkie, and Pepper, a taciturn hoodlum who was friends with Ray’s dad, Big Mike, a legendary thief.
    — Niela Orr, Vulture, 20 July 2026
Definition of hoodlum
Noun
  • Wild to me though that something that expensive would just be dropped off with porch pirates out there.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Jamal convened a press conference proclaiming to be able to communicate by phone with Somali pirates who were holding a Nigerian ship hostage.
    — Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 5 Oct. 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 20 Oct. 2026.

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