thug
noun
a violent, lawless, or vicious person, especially one who commits a crime such as assault, robbery, or murder.
thugs
-
pluralof thug.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
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.
"The half-million Israelis living peacefully … are most disgusted by a small group of thugs," said US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee who welcomed the Israeli leaders' condemnation.
From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026
Ms. Crabapple’s great-grandfather, Samuel Rothbort, was a Russian-born Bundist who, after tangling with local thugs, immigrated to the U.S. and became a painter and chicken farmer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
“We will unmask these thugs and hold them accountable. Full stop,” Wiener said, calling Snyder’s ruling a “huge win.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 9, 2026
"They began organising traffic and clearing the markets, removing the street vendors who were blocking the roads. We felt protected from thugs and thieves."
From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2025
I only remember where it said the people who had been working for Duvalier, the thieves and thugs and secret police, all those Macoutes, could not be in the government anymore.
From "Taste of Salt: A Story of Modern Haiti" by Frances Temple
