hooligan

noun

hoo·​li·​gan ˈhü-li-gən How to pronounce hooligan (audio)
plural hooligans
: 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.
Buford traveled to games with British hooligans to understand the mind of a violent crowd. Ed Lavandera, CNN Money, 11 Oct. 2025 Those five included provocations by Ukrainians, pro-Russian cells within the European Union (EU), intentional testing of air defense systems, local hooligans, and Russia. Robert Birsel, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Oct. 2025 Today, Nazi political power exists via a disparate array of soccer hooligans, deluded commentators, and criminal gangs of limited power. Tom Rogan, The Washington Examiner, 26 Sep. 2025 The film stars Boon as Tommy, a 19-year-old hooligan who wakes up from an all-night bender in the basement of a strange suburban home, bound with a chain around his neck. Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 4 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hooligan

Word History

Etymology

perhaps from Patrick Hooligan who flourished in 1896 as an Irish hoodlum in Southwark, London

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hooligan was in 1896

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Cite this Entry

“Hooligan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hooligan. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

hooligan

noun
hoo·​li·​gan ˈhü-li-gən How to pronounce hooligan (audio)
Etymology

perhaps from the name of Patrick Hooligan, an Irish hoodlum who lived in London around 1898

More from Merriam-Webster on hooligan

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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