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hooligan

[ hoo-li-guh n ]

/ ˈhu lɪ gən /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR hooligan ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a ruffian or hoodlum.

adjective

of or like hooligans.

Origin of hooligan

First recorded in 1895–1900; perhaps after the Irish surname Hooligan, but corroborating evidence is lacking

OTHER WORDS FROM hooligan

hoo·li·gan·ism, noun

Words nearby hooligan

hookworm, hookworm disease, hooky, hooley, hoolie, hooligan, hooly, hoon, hoop, hoop back, hoop iron

Example sentences from the Web for hooliganism

In an ironic twist, English supporters are now more likely to be the victims than the perpetrators of hooliganism.

What Is It About Soccer That Brings Out the Hooligan in Its Fans? |Bill Morris |June 25, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
First charged with “piracy,” each member of the retinue now faces seven years in jail if found guilty of “hooliganism.”

The Return of Russian Hard Power? |Michael Weiss |November 23, 2013 |DAILY BEAST
Three members of the group were arrested, charged with “hooliganism,” and imprisoned; two of them have 5-year-old children.

Of Punk and War: A U.S. Combat Veteran in Solidarity With Pussy Riot |Colby Buzzell |August 20, 2013 |DAILY BEAST
The Russian punk band was sentenced to two years behind bars for ‘hooliganism’ despite protests across the West and in Moscow.

Protests Couldn’t Save Pussy Riot From Two-Year Prison Sentence |Anna Nemtsova |August 17, 2012 |DAILY BEAST

Frequent allusions to hooliganism and armed burglars occur in 1882.

Mr. Punch's History of Modern England Vol. III of IV |Charles L. Graves
Idleness, hooliganism and repeated imprisonments for petty crime, until something more serious happens, and then longer sentences.

London's Underworld |Thomas Holmes
The main safeguard against lawlessness and hooliganism in any armed body is the integrity of its officers.

The Armed Forces Officer |U. S. Department of Defense
They were aggravated, moreover, by an outbreak of hooliganism, which became a serious nuisance in 1881.

Mr. Punch's History of Modern England Vol. III of IV |Charles L. Graves
The burning cars were laid to hooliganism on the part of the bystanders.

The Double Spy |Dan T. Moore

British Dictionary definitions for hooliganism

hooligan

/ (ˈhuːlɪɡən) /

noun

slang a rough lawless young person

Derived forms of hooligan

hooliganism, noun

Word Origin for hooligan

C19: perhaps variant of Houlihan, Irish surname