hoodlum

[hood-luhm, hood-]

noun

1. a thug or gangster.

2. a young street ruffian, especially one belonging to a gang.

hoodlum

/ ˈhuːdləm /

noun

1. a petty gangster or ruffian

2. a lawless youth

Other Word Forms

• hoodlumism noun
• hoodlumish adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of hoodlum¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of hoodlum¹

C19: perhaps from Southern German dialect Haderlump ragged good-for-nothing

Example Sentences

Critics say police gave up when the rioting erupted in 1992, letting big chunks of the city burn while looters and hoodlums ruled.

From Los Angeles Times

“These are the actions of opportunistic hoodlums who don’t care about the immigrants,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times

There’s considerable variety, to be sure, in how quickly and ferociously they take up arms, and whether they are volunteer hoodlums or highly organized military vets.

From Salon

In rural California, at least 15 shooting attacks against Japanese Americans, an attempted dynamiting, three arson cases and five “threatening visits” amounted to “planned terrorism by hoodlums.”

From Los Angeles Times

He charged that the Bonus march had been largely “organized and promoted by the Communists and included a large number of hoodlums and ex-convicts.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• criminal 
• delinquent 
• gangster 
• goon 
• hooligan 
• mobster 
• punk 
• ruffian 
• thug