hoodlum
Americannoun
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a thug or gangster.
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a young street ruffian, especially one belonging to a gang.
noun
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a petty gangster or ruffian
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a lawless youth
Other Word Forms
- hoodlumish adjective
- hoodlumism noun
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
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.
“He was absolutely beautiful, like a Botticelli cosh boy,” Mr. Lindsay-Hogg recalled, using an old British slang term for stylish teenage hoodlum.
From New York Times • Jul. 5, 2022
And now you tell him that you want to turn your life of classical music study behind so that you can rap with that hoodlum Tariq.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 8, 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
“Well, I ain't miss you or your hoodlum friends. And I told you to stop calling me that. My name is Jane, not Janey.”
From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland
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.
