hoodlum
Americannoun
-
a thug or gangster.
-
a young street ruffian, especially one belonging to a gang.
noun
-
a petty gangster or ruffian
-
a lawless youth
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of hoodlum
1870–75, probably < dialectal German; compare Swabian derivatives of Hudel rag, e.g. hudelum disorderly, hudellam weak, slack Hudellump ( e ) rags, slovenly, careless person, and related words in other dialects
Explanation
Hoodlums are young people who are involved in crime or generally up to no good. A car full of hoodlums might drive down the street and smash mailboxes with a baseball bat. Hoodlums are into mean stuff like that. If you've ever seen a group of young people who look like trouble, you may have seen a group of hoodlums. Hoodlums are loud, aggressive, and violent. Hoodlums are part of gangs and commit crimes. If a young person robs a store or mugs someone, he’s a hoodlum. The word hoodlum has nothing to do with the hood on a sweatshirt. A hoodlum can also be called a gangster, thug, or toughie. Steer clear!
Vocabulary lists containing hoodlum
Number the Stars
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Novel Study: The Outsiders, Chapters 1–5
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
All We Have Left
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
George Bratsenis shuffled into a New Jersey courtroom in shackles last month, an old-school hoodlum with thick glasses, white hair and a forearm tattoo.
From New York Times • Mar. 23, 2022
In your film, a teacher once said that James would be either a hoodlum or a great entertainer.
From Salon • Sep. 3, 2021
"He’s got an edge to him. He looks like a choir boy, but he plays like … a hoodlum," Van Gundy said.
From Fox News • Jul. 8, 2021
And, pay careful attention to a rare appearance by legendary Stooge Shemp Howard as baby-renting hoodlum Wacky and the famed dance team Rene and Estela performing the rhumba.
From Washington Times • Apr. 21, 2021
And what if Pa decided I couldn’t go to the Jackson Five concert because I was shouting “Your pie-baking mama!” in social studies, like a dice-throwing hoodlum?
From "P.S. Be Eleven" by Rita Williams-Garcia
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
