Criminal Behavior Terminology

noun a frenzied or uncontrolled state

adverb in a frenzied or uncontrolled manner

• The gunman ran amok in the shopping mall, causing panic and chaos.
• When my little brother gets a sugar rush, he goes amok around the house.
• The party was so wild, people were going amok all night long.
• Her emotions were running amok after the breakup, making it hard for her to focus on anything else.

noun a person in a work of fiction

adjective of poor quality or low standard

• The lawyer argued that the defendant had a bad character based on previous criminal convictions.
• I heard that new employee has a bad character, always showing up late and lying to the boss.
• Stay away from that guy, he's got a bad character and can't be trusted.
• In literature, the villain is often portrayed with a bad character to create conflict in the story.

adjective showing or having an insensitive and cruel disregard for others

• The defendant showed a callous disregard for the victim's well-being.
• I can't believe how callous she was towards her friend in need.
• He's just a callous jerk who doesn't care about anyone but himself.
• Her callous words cut through me like a knife.

noun a man who engages in confidence tricks

• The authorities were able to track down the notorious con man and bring him to justice.
• I heard that Joe is a real con man, always trying to scam people out of their money.
• Watch out for that con man, he's been known to pull some shady deals.
• She's a con man when it comes to getting what she wants, always manipulating situations in her favor.

adjective a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun, in this case meaning insane or mentally disturbed

• The psychiatrist diagnosed the patient as deranged due to his erratic behavior.
• I heard that the neighbor down the street is completely deranged.
• That guy is seriously deranged, you should stay away from him.
• The deranged state of the economy has caused widespread panic among investors.

noun a person who is addicted to drugs

• The counselor worked with the drug addict to develop a treatment plan.
• I heard that John's cousin is a drug addict.
• That guy is a total druggie, always looking for his next fix.
• Being addicted to social media can make you feel like a drug addict, constantly craving more.

noun morally reprehensible behavior

adjective morally wrong or bad

adverb in a wicked or harmful manner

• The philosopher argued that evil is inherent in human nature.
• I can't believe she did such an evil thing!
• That guy is straight up evil, dude.
• The darkness in his heart was like a shadow of evil looming over him.

noun the quality of being secretive or sly

• The suspect's furtiveness raised suspicions among the investigators.
• I could sense his furtiveness as he tried to hide something from me.
• Her furtiveness was so obvious, it was like she was up to no good.
• The dark clouds moved across the sky with a sense of furtiveness, hinting at an impending storm.

noun the act of cleaning and maintaining one's appearance, especially hair and skin

• Proper grooming is essential for maintaining a professional appearance in the workplace.
• I always feel more confident after grooming myself properly.
• Some people think grooming is just for show, but it's actually important for hygiene.
• Grooming a garden involves careful attention to detail, just like grooming oneself.

adjective relating to or tending towards homicide; murderous

• The suspect exhibited homicidal tendencies during the interrogation.
• I heard he's been acting all homicidal lately.
• That guy gives off major homicidal vibes, stay away from him.
• The competition between the two companies was so intense, it felt almost homicidal.

noun a person who brings about or initiates something, especially a conflict or crime

• The instigator of the conflict was identified as one of the employees.
• She's always the instigator of drama in our friend group.
• Don't be an instigator and stir up trouble.
• The new policy acted as an instigator for change within the organization.

noun a person who breaks the law

• The lawbreaker was apprehended by the authorities and taken into custody.
• That lawbreaker got caught red-handed by the cops.
• The lawbreaker is in deep trouble now.
• He was a lawbreaker of the heart, breaking all the rules of love.

noun a large, disorderly crowd of people

verb to crowd around or attack someone in a mob

• The police were called to disperse the violent mob that had gathered outside the courthouse.
• I heard there was a mob forming at the park for a protest.
• The mob at the concert was so hyped up, they were pushing and shoving to get to the front.
• The angry customers formed a mob at the store, demanding a refund for the faulty product.

adjective resembling or characteristic of a ruffian; rough or tough in manner or appearance

• The ruffianly behavior of the protestors was condemned by the authorities.
• That guy at the bar was acting all ruffianly last night.
• Don't mess with him, he's known to be pretty ruffianly.
• The storm swept through the town with a ruffianly force, leaving destruction in its wake.

noun a frenzied or uncontrolled outburst of activity or behavior

verb to behave in a frenzied or uncontrollable manner

• The protest turned violent as some individuals began to run amok, causing damage to property.
• When the kids found out there was no school, they ran amok in the neighborhood.
• After the team won the championship, they ran amok in celebration.
• Her emotions were running amok as she struggled to make sense of the situation.

adjective lacking meaning or purpose; foolish or unwise

• The senseless act of violence left the community in shock.
• It was a senseless decision to drive home drunk.
• That fight was so senseless, they were just throwing punches for no reason.
• The senseless chatter in the background made it hard to focus on my work.

verb Staring is a present participle form of the verb 'stare', which means to look fixedly or intently at someone or something.

• She noticed him staring intently at the painting in the art gallery.
• Why are you staring at me like that?
• Stop staring, it's rude.
• The solution to the problem was right in front of her, but she couldn't see it because she was too busy staring at the details.

adjective describing someone or something that steals or commits theft

• The police arrested the suspect for thieving from multiple stores in the area.
• I heard that John got caught thieving from the convenience store down the street.
• That guy is always out thieving stuff from people's cars.
• His thieving ways eventually caught up with him and he lost everything.

noun the act of faking one's own death

• The act of faking one's own death is known as pseudocide.
• I heard he tried to pull off a pseudocide to escape his debts.
• She's planning to do a pseudocide to start fresh.
• Sometimes we need to metaphorically commit pseudocide to leave our past behind.

noun a feeling or state of extreme repugnance or aversion

• The abhorrency of the crime shocked the entire community.
• I can't stand the abhorrency of his behavior.
• The abhorrency of that movie was off the charts.
• The abhorrency of her words cut deep into his heart.

verb A word used to describe an action, state, or occurrence. In this case, 'acted out' is a verb phrase meaning to perform or portray something through actions.

adverb A word that modifies or qualifies an adjective, verb, or other adverb. In this case, 'out' is an adverb that indicates the completion or conclusion of the action of acting.

preposition A word that shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence. In this case, 'out' is a preposition that indicates the direction or extent of the action of acting.

• The actors in the play acted out the scene with precision and emotion.
• The kids were bored so they acted out their favorite movie scene.
• She totally acted out when she found out she didn't get the job.
• His anger was so intense that it felt like a storm was being acted out in the room.