goon

[goon]

noun

1. Informal.,  a hired hoodlum or thug.

2. Slang.

   1. a stupid, foolish, or awkward person.

   2. a rough, coarse person; roughneck.

goon

¹

/ ɡuːn /

noun

1. a stupid or deliberately foolish person

2. informal,  a thug hired to commit acts of violence or intimidation, esp in an industrial dispute

goon

²

noun

1. informal,  cheap wine packaged in casks or boxed

Word History and Origins

Origin of goon¹

First recorded in 1920–25; shortened from dialectal gooney, variant of obsolete gony “a simpleton” (of unknown origin); influenced by the comic-strip character Alice the Goon in the series Thimble Theatre by E. C. Segar (1894–1938), American cartoonist

Word History and Origins

Origin of goon¹

C20: partly from dialect gooney fool, partly after the character Alice the Goon, created by E. C. Segar (1894–1938), American cartoonist

Example Sentences

Human-right groups accuse the government of hiring provocateurs—known locally as goons—to infiltrate protests and discredit demonstrators to justify the violent reaction.

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Masked goons stage a military-style attack on a Chicago apartment building.

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The "Gen Z" movement alleges, however, that paid goons had looted various buildings in order to undermine their cause.

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But seconds before the hired goons fire their rifles, George calls off his murderous threat.

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Private sector workers won the right to form unions and strike under the National Labor Relations Board, largely ending the union-busting and goon violence of decades past.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• hooligan 
• thug 

When To Use

What does goon mean?

Don't be a goon! That is, don't be a "fool" or an "oaf."Hired muscle, gangsters, and tough-guy hockey players are often called goons, too.