What does "hooligan" mean?
A young person who causes trouble or violence, typically as a member of a gang or other group.
Hooligan
/ˈhuː.lɪ.ɡən/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A young person who causes trouble or violence, typically as a member of a gang or other group.
- Grammar: hooligan is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: bully, ruffian, yob, arriviste.
- Useful contrasts: civilian, lawful person, lawful spectator.
- Usage evidence: He's just a petty hooligan, but if he had just a little more initiative, he could be a major criminal leader.
How to use "hooligan"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "hooligan" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "hooligan" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "hooligan" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "hooligan" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "hooligan" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "bully" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "hooligan", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A young person who causes trouble or violence, typically as a member of a gang or other group. attributive, informal
"She also heard boys from other classes behind her talking: “So, Teacher Tang is a female hooligan.”"
- 2 A type of fish, an anadromous smelt, Thaleichthys pacificus, found in the North Pacific.
"One year there was a strong wind. We couldn’t catch herring, but they were there. We caught lots of hooligans (smelt) and got through the year on those."
- 3 a cruel and brutal fellow wordnet
- 4 Ellipsis of football hooligan. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
"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."
- 5 A member of the United States Coast Guard. US, slang
"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."
Verb
- 1 To act as a hooligan (etymology 1 sense 1). intransitive
- 2 To treat (a person) roughly. broadly, transitive
Antonyms
Example
"He's just a petty hooligan, but if he had just a little more initiative, he could be a major criminal leader."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "hooligan"?
Common synonyms include: bully, ruffian, yob, arriviste, babbitt, bad boy.
How do you use "hooligan" in a sentence?
He's just a petty hooligan, but if he had just a little more initiative, he could be a major criminal leader.
How do you pronounce "hooligan"?
Pronounced /ˈhuː.lɪ.ɡən/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Probably a variant of the Irish surname Houlihan, 1890s.
Etymology 2
Borrowed from Chinook Jargon ulakan, from Clatsop Chinook, with spelling and pronunciation influenced by the preceding.