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thug

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

θʌɡDocumented since 1810sSilenthistoricalCurrent160 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026+ Add a definition
🎤 Black culture & AAVE
3 definitions
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5 citations · last seen May 2026

Etymology timeline

Born ~1810 · 1 year of recorded use
1810Born2026: 5 citationsToday, 2026

Seen in the wild

Definitions

US
#1·Apr 27, 2026US

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

Every summer brought the prospect of the dragonships snaking their way upriver, each vessel filled with thirty or more rapacious thugs.
Origin: ठग / ٹھگ, further , of origin. See there for more. Thuggee was a network of gangs in India from the 17th century to the 19th century who robbed and murdered travellers, often by strangling and beating their victims to death. During British Imperial rule of India, many Indian words passed into common English, and by 1810 thug referred to a member of these Indian gangs. The sense was adopted more generally as "ruffian, cutthroat, and cruel robber" by 1839. Related to , deck. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Heard in the wild
  • “BBC Radio 1 Anthems Radio 1 Anthems: Kesha, S Club 7, ZAYN and more Now Playing Camila Cabello Havana (feat. Young Thug)”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
  • “When an organized crime thug sends a post...”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
  • “Minority Leader of the Democratic HOUSE, is no thug. Hakeem Jeffries is an Intellectual Competent Leader, who abides by the Rule of Law and our Constitution, the very things Trump’s MAGA Fascists are against!”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
  • “I always imagine reimu to act like a thug. Straight up super aggressive MEAN. Grrrrr”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
  • “BBC Asian Network Jaz Singh Now Playing Jasmine Sandlas Thug Life”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
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US
#2·Apr 27, 2026US

A violent, aggressive, or truculent person.

For parents

"thug" means: A violent, aggressive, or truculent person.. It carries a violent or aggressive reference, so it is worth noting the context. In most cases the word is used jokingly or for emphasis rather than as a sign of real intent. A calm question about where it was heard is usually all that is needed; pay more attention to behaviour and tone than to the word itself.

For ESL learners

"thug" means: A violent, aggressive, or truculent person.. Register: neutral, standard English, usable in most everyday contexts. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in a comparable context.

Cluster: criminal
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US
#3·Apr 27, 2026US

A criminal that extorts people.

Every summer brought the prospect of the dragonships snaking their way upriver, each vessel filled with thirty or more rapacious thugs.
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🎤About Black culture & AAVE slang

Slang from Black American Vernacular English (AAVE), hip-hop, drag and ballroom culture, the Caribbean, and NYC street vocabulary. The single largest source of new mainstream English slang in living memory.

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