Hooligan

/ˈhuː.lɪ.ɡən/ · noun

Meaning

(informal, attributive) A young person who causes trouble or violence, typically as a member of a gang or other group..

Definitions by Sense

1. (informal, attributive) A young person who causes trouble or violence, typically as a member of a gang or other group.
2. Ellipsis of football hooligan.
3. (slang, US) A member of the United States Coast Guard.
4. (intransitive) To act as a hooligan (etymology 1, noun sense 1).
5. (transitive, by extension) To treat (a person) roughly.
6. A type of fish, an anadromous smelt, Thaleichthys pacificus, found in the North Pacific.

Example Sentences

She also heard boys from other classes behind her talking: “So, Teacher Tang is a female hooligan.”

And I was in danger of turning into a right little hooligan if left to my wayward ways.

“You are hooligan, you try to make trouble.” Sam paused, then continued. “Ah ha ha ha, I am right, I see it in your eyes. A hooligan!”

These excursions abroad confirm that displacement has actually been a feature of the development of hooligan conflicts for some time, but an important wider point is that domestic hooligan displacement also seems to be a much more central issue today, as policing and other control strategies (segregation, seating, stewarding and CCTV in and around the larger English football grounds) have become more comprehensive, and especially as sentences for hooliganism have become much more forbidding.

Many professional Navy and Coast Guard men were inclined to scoff. What kind of Navy was this, and what did they think they were up to, anyway? This bunch of hooligans wouldn't be any good to anyone; wouldn't be worth the powder to blow 'em to hell. Hooligan's Navy.

It often seemed to Al that the entire Coast Guard was a little embarrassed about being Coast Guardsmen—except maybe the cocky bearded men off the convoy cutters, who needed to apologize to no man because of any lack of battle stars. But in general, Army and Navy guys looked down on Hooligans.

I frequently notice that the hooligans (a respectful reference to the U.S. Coast Guard) are a hard act to follow.

Navy crew along the rail shouted smart-ass remarks and jeered at the hooligan doing his job.

Synonyms for hooligan

Antonyms for hooligan

Related Words

Word Forms

• hooligans
• hooliganing
• hooliganed
• hooligan

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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