thug

• POS: Noun

CIDE DICTIONARY

thug, n. [Hind. thag a deceiver, robber.].

•  One of an association of robbers and murderers in India who practiced murder by stealthy approaches, and from religious motives. They have been nearly exterminated by the British government.  [1913 Webster]
•  An assassin; a ruffian; a rough.  The Century.  [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

thug, n.
1 a vicious or brutal ruffian.
2 (Thug) hist. a member of a religious organization of robbers and assassins in India.

Derivative

thuggery n. thuggish adj. thuggishly adv. thuggishness n.

Etymology

Hindi & Marathi thag swindler

THESAURUS

thug

Cain, Judas, Mafioso, adherent, apache, assassin, assassinator, bandit, battler, belligerent, belted knight, betrayer, bickerer, blade, bloodletter, bloodshedder, bravo, brawler, brigand, bucko, bully, bullyboy, burker, butcher, button man, cannibal, combatant, competitor, contender, contestant, convict, creature, criminal, crook, cutthroat, dacoit, deceiver, desperado, desperate criminal, devil, disciple, disputant, double-dealer, duelist, dummy, enforcer, eradicator, executioner, exterminator, felon, fencer, feuder, fighter, fighting cock, figurehead, flunky, foilsman, follower, fugitive, gallows bird, gamecock, gangster, gaolbird, garroter, gillie, gladiator, goon, gorilla, gun, gunman, gunsel, hanger-on, hatchet man, head-hunter, heavy, hell-raiser, hellcat, henchman, hit man, homicidal maniac, homicide, hood, hoodlum, hooligan, jackal, jailbird, jouster, killer, knight, lackey, lawbreaker, mad dog, man, man-eater, man-killer, manslayer, massacrer, matador, militant, minion, mobsman, mobster, mugger, murderer, myrmidon, outlaw, pesticide, plug-ugly, poison, poisoner, public enemy, puppet, quarreler, quisling, racketeer, rioter, rival, robber, rough, rowdy, ruffian, sabreur, satellite, scofflaw, scrapper, scuffler, slaughterer, slayer, squabbler, stooge, strangler, strong, strong arm, strong-arm man, strong-armer, struggler, swashbuckler, swindler, sword, swordplayer, swordsman, sycophant, terrorist, thief, tilter, torpedo, tough, traitor, trigger man, tussler, two-timer, votary, wrangler, yahoo

ROGET THESAURUS

thug

Thief

N thief, robber, homo triumliterarum, pilferer, rifler, filcher, plagiarist, spoiler, depredator, pillager, marauder, harpy, shark, land shark, falcon, mosstrooper, bushranger, Bedouin, brigand, freebooter, bandit, thug, dacoit, pirate, corsair, viking, Paul Jones, buccaneer, buccanier, piqueerer, pickeerer, rover, ranger, privateer, filibuster, rapparee, wrecker, picaroon, smuggler, poacher, abductor, badger, bunko man, cattle thief, chor, contrabandist, crook, hawk, holdup man, hold-up, jackleg, kidnaper, rustler, cattle rustler, sandbagger, sea king, skin, sneak thief, spieler, strong-arm man, highwayman, Dick Turpin, Claude Duval, Macheath, footpad, sturdy beggar, cut purse, pick purse, pickpocket, light-fingered gentry, sharper, card sharper, skittle sharper, thimblerigger, rook, Greek, blackleg, leg, welsher, defaulter, Autolycus, Jeremy Diddler, Robert Macaire, artful dodger, trickster, swell mob, chevalier d'industrie, shoplifter, swindler, peculator, forger, coiner, fence, receiver of stolen goods, duffer, smasher, burglar, housebreaker, cracksman, magsman, Bill Sikes, Jack Sheppard, Jonathan Wild, gang, gang of thieves, theft ring, organized crime, mafia, the Sicilian Mafia, the mob, la cosa nostra, Dillinger, Al Capone, Robin Hood.

Bad Man

N bad man, wrongdoer, worker of iniquity, evildoer, sinner, the wicked, bad example, villain, rascal, scoundrel, miscreant, budmash, caitiff, wretch, reptile, viper, serpent, cockatrice, basilisk, urchin, tiger, monster, devil, devil incarnate, demon in human shape, Nana Sahib, hellhound, hellcat, rakehell, bad woman, jade, Jezebel, scamp, scapegrace, rip, runagate, ne'er-do-well, reprobate, scalawag, scallawag, rou_e, rake, Sadist, skeesicks, skeezix, limb, one who has sold himself to the devil, fallen angel, ame damnee, vaurien, mauvais sujet, loose fish, sad dog, rounder, lost sheep, black sheep, castaway, recreant, defaulter, prodigal, rough, rowdy, hooligan, tough, ugly customer, mean mother, ruffian, bully, meanie, Jonathan Wild, hangman, incendiary, arsonist, fire bug, thief, murderer, terrorist, culprit, delinquent, crook, hoodlum, hood, criminal, thug, malefactor, offender, perpetrator, perp, disorderly person, misdemeanant, outlaw, scofflaw, vandal, felon, (convicted criminal), criminal, convict, prisoner, inmate, jail bird, ticket of leave man, multiple offender, blackguard, polisson, loafer, sneak, rapscallion, rascallion, cullion, mean wretch, varlet, kern, ame-de-boue, drole, cur, dog, hound, whelp, mongrel, lown, loon, runnion, outcast, vagabond, rogue, ronian, scum of the earth, riffraff, Arcades ambo, Int, sirrah!, Acherontis pabulum, gibier de potence.

Killing

N killing, homicide, manslaughter, murder, assassination, trucidation, iccusion, effusion of blood, blood, blood shed, gore, slaughter, carnage, butchery, battue, massacre, fusillade, noyade, thuggery, Thuggism, deathblow, finishing stroke, coup de grace, quietus, execution, judicial murder, martyrdom, butcher, slayer, murderer, Cain, assassin, terrorist, cutthroat, garroter, bravo, Thug, Moloch, matador, sabreur, guet-a-pens, gallows, executioner, man-eater, apache, hatchet man, highbinder, regicide, parricide, matricide, fratricide, infanticide, feticide, foeticide, uxoricide, vaticide, suicide, felo de se, hara-kiri, suttee, Juggernath, immolation, auto da fe, holocaust, suffocation, strangulation, garrote, hanging, lapidation, deadly weapon, Aceldama, slaughtering, phthisozoics, sport, sporting, the chase, venery, hunting, coursing, shooting, fishing, pig- sticking, sportsman, huntsman, fisherman, hunter, Nimrod, slaughterhouse, meat packing plant, shambles, abattoir, fatal accident, violent death, casualty, killing, murderous, slaughterous, sanguinary, sanguinolent, blood stained, blood thirsty, homicidal, red handed, bloody, bloody minded, ensanguined, gory, thuggish, mortal, fatal, lethal, dead, deadly, mortiferous, lethiferous, unhealthy internecine, suicidal, sporting, piscatorial, piscatory, in at the death, assassination has never changed the history of the.