thug

C2 Topic:Crime & Justice

US /θʌɡ/ UK /θʌɡ/ See IPA manual

Minimal pairs

Sounds like tug /θ/ vs /t/

Freq #9149

Meanings

1

noun
a violent criminal or a person hired to intimidate or attack others

The party boss sent a thug to threaten the newspaper's editor.
2

noun
historical: a member of bands in India described in British colonial records as robbing and killing travellers, associated with Thuggee

The historian cautioned that each colonial account of a Thug must be read in the context of imperial policing.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a violent criminal or a... hooligan brute enforcer

2 noun · historical: a member of... Thuggee member

More ruffian

Word family

Forms thugs

Derived forms thuggerythuggish

Related forms gang enforcerThuggee

Etymology

Borrowed in the early nineteenth century from Hindi and Urdu thag, 'swindler or thief,' ultimately related to Sanskrit sthagati, 'he conceals.' British colonial usage applied Thug to alleged members of Thuggee bands; the word soon broadened in English to any violent criminal or hired enforcer.

Topics

Crime & Justice

External links

# thug

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /θʌɡ/
**IPA (UK):** /θʌɡ/
**Frequency rank:** 9149

## Meanings
1. a violent criminal or a person hired to intimidate or attack others
2. historical: a member of bands in India described in British colonial records as robbing and killing travellers, associated with Thuggee

## Examples
- The party boss sent a thug to threaten the newspaper's editor.
- The historian cautioned that each colonial account of a Thug must be read in the context of imperial policing.

## Synonyms
- hooligan
- brute
- enforcer
- ruffian

## Derived Forms
- thuggery
- thuggish

## Related Forms
- gang
- enforcer
- Thuggee

## Etymology
Borrowed in the early nineteenth century from Hindi and Urdu thag, 'swindler or thief,' ultimately related to Sanskrit sthagati, 'he conceals.' British colonial usage applied Thug to alleged members of Thuggee bands; the word soon broadened in English to any violent criminal or hired enforcer.

## Topics
- Crime & Justice

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