Definition

Noun: A violent, aggressive, and often disorderly person, typically a young male, who behaves in a rough, lawless, or destructive manner, especially as part of a group at public events like sports matches.

Examples of Usage

• The police were called to control the hooligans who were vandalizing shops after the football match.
• He was just a hooligan looking for a fight, not a genuine fan of the sport.
• The city has implemented new measures to prevent hooligan violence during the festival.

Advanced Usage

• "Football hooligan" / "Soccer hooligan": A specific term for a person who engages in violent, unruly, and destructive behavior, often organized, in connection with football (soccer) matches.
  • The club was fined due to the behavior of its football hooligans abroad.
• "Hooliganism" (noun): The behavior characteristic of a hooligan; lawless or destructive actions, especially by a crowd.
  • The government passed stricter laws to combat hooliganism in stadiums.

Variants and Related Words

• Hooliganism (n): The conduct or actions of hooligans.
• Hooliganesque (adj, rare): Resembling or characteristic of a hooligan.

Synonyms

• Thug
• Ruffian
• Delinquent
• Rowdy
• Troublemaker
• Lout
• Yob (chiefly British)

Antonyms

• Law-abiding citizen
• Peacekeeper
• Pacifist

Related Idioms and Phrases

• "To run with a pack of hooligans": To associate with a group of violent or disorderly people.
  • His mother worried he had started to run with a pack of hooligans.

Noun

1. a cruel and brutal fellow