thug
noun
a violent, lawless, or vicious person, especially one who commits a crime such as assault, robbery, or murder.
thuggery
-
a word derived from
thug.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
We’re living under a dark cloud, with a steady downpour of graft, thuggery and baloney.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
Its police officers deter crimes such as theft and thuggery while keeping the traffic flowing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2025
Nigel Farage, leader of the opposition Reform UK party, has gone on social media to say he does not support "street protests, violence or thuggery in any way".
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2024
You find that in Amis too, sometimes where you least expect it: amid the apocalyptic tremors of “London Fields,” the fratricidal savagery of “The Information,” the decadence and thuggery of “Lionel Asbo.”
From New York Times ● May 22, 2023
The records of this industrial warfare are replete with lesser battles where thuggery joined hands with desperation in the struggle for wages.
From The Armies of Labor A chronicle of the organized wage-earners by Samuel Peter Orth
