hooligan

noun

hoo·li·gan ˈhü-li-gən

plural hooligans

Synonyms of hooligan next

: a usually young man who engages in rowdy or violent behavior especially as part of a group or gang : ruffian, hoodlum

We had four great beefy hooligans on to us when Linton got his tooth knocked out.—

P. G. Wodehouse

"At school I ran with the hooligans and tried to act tough."—

John Keen

More recently the tabloid press dubbed English football hooligans "lager louts" as if it was the fizzy beer that was the problem rather than that many supporters were more interested in fighting than football.—

Henry Jeffreys

Examples of hooligan in a Sentence

London bobbies clearing the streets of hooligans

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Ticking off the Traction Control also allowed my inner hooligan to loft the front wheel a wee bit in first and second gear as the Kawasaki quickly built revs. —

William Roberson, Forbes, 26 Oct. 2024 Gatherings of white men in particular have historically cultivated an ominous vibe: think the Unite the Right rally, many European land wars, English football hooligans, or Congress. —

Anne Victoria Clark, Vulture, 30 July 2024 The 1989 Hillsborough disaster, Britain's deadliest sports tragedy, sparked a rush to judgment: football hooligans, the scourge of English sports in the 1980s, were blamed. —

Joshua Dupuy, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024 Onstage, Idles felt like a powder keg ready to blow, turning a Queens audience into socially conscious soccer hooligans for the night. —

William Earl, Variety, 28 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hooligan