goon

American  

[goon] / gun /

noun

1. Informal. a hired hoodlum or thug.

2. Slang.

   1. a stupid, foolish, or awkward person.

   2. a rough, coarse person; roughneck.

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goon ¹ British  

/ 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

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goon ² British  

noun

1. informal cheap wine packaged in casks or boxed

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Usage

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.

Etymology

Origin of goon

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

Example Sentences

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.

From Salon • Jul. 30, 2025

Even if the goon gets caught, you still have to go store by store to argue that the fraudulent purchase wasn’t legitimate and hope the debt is forgiven.

From Slate • Feb. 12, 2025

And there’s an utterly surprising, deeply soulful supporting performance from Yura Borisov, playing Igor, a hired goon who comes to love the title character almost as much as we do.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 27, 2024

Sadly for Holcomb, I fear there are few more dangerous things to be on prestige television than a goon with dreams of bettering himself.

From New York Times • Mar. 20, 2023

The bald goon hurried down the gangplank and waved at the deputy, who hopped out of the car and followed Dusty’s man onto the boat.

From "Flush" by Carl Hiaasen

Related Words

• hooligan
• thug