Hoodlum

Pronunciation: /ˈhʊdləm/

Definitions of hoodlum

noun a person who engages in crime and violence; a thug or gangster

Example Sentences

A1 The hoodlum ran away when he saw the police.

A2 The neighborhood was plagued by hoodlums causing trouble.

B1 The authorities are cracking down on hoodlums in the area.

B2 The gang leader was known as a ruthless hoodlum in the city.

C1 The sophisticated criminal mastermind operated behind the scenes, controlling the hoodlums in the city.

C2 The notorious hoodlum was finally apprehended after years of evading the authorities.

Examples of hoodlum in a Sentence

formal The police arrested a suspected hoodlum in connection with the robbery.

informal I heard that some hoodlum broke into the old warehouse last night.

slang That hoodlum is always causing trouble in the neighborhood.

figurative The darkness of the night seemed to cloak the city in a shroud of hoodlums.

Grammatical Forms of hoodlum

• past tense: hoodlummed
• plural: hoodlums
• comparative: more hoodlum
• superlative: most hoodlum
• present tense: hoodlums
• future tense: will hoodlum
• perfect tense: have hoodlummed
• continuous tense: is hoodlumming
• singular: hoodlum
• positive degree: hoodlum
• infinitive: to hoodlum
• gerund: hoodlumming
• participle: hoodlummed

Origin and Evolution of hoodlum

First Known Use: 1870 year

Language of Origin: English

Story behind the word: The word 'hoodlum' is believed to have originated in the United States in the late 19th century.

Evolution of the word: Originally used to describe a young street tough or delinquent, the term 'hoodlum' has evolved to encompass a wider range of criminal behavior and is often used to refer to a member of a gang or organized crime group.