goon

[ goon ]

noun

1. Informal. a hired hoodlum or thug.
2. Slang.
   1. a stupid, foolish, or awkward person.
   2. a rough, coarse person; roughneck.

goon

¹

noun

1. informal.
   cheap wine packaged in casks or boxed

goon

²

/ ɡuːn /

noun

1. a stupid or deliberately foolish person
2. informal.
   a thug hired to commit acts of violence or intimidation, esp in an industrial dispute

Word History and Origins

Origin of goon¹

First recorded in 1920–25; shortened from dialectal gooney, variant of obsolete gony “a simpleton” (of unknown origin); influenced by the comic-strip character Alice the Goon in the series Thimble Theatre by E. C. Segar (1894–1938), American cartoonist

Word History and Origins

Origin of goon¹

C20: partly from dialect gooney fool, partly after the character Alice the Goon, created by E. C. Segar (1894–1938), American cartoonist

Example Sentences

The message said, "I’m surprised none of you wrote a letter on Danny Masterson’s behalf since your corny a** singer showed up to support him in the prelims. Remember Emily? Remember how your fellow Scientologist goon squad surrounded one of the Jane Doe’s when she was trying to leave the elevators? The court sheriffs had to escort her away from your awful cult."

From Salon

I can imagine that, were I part of the doc crew and a Dwight-like goon started a fire, I would feel the scene is worth getting without intrusion and there’s plenty of ways it gets handled before it’s out of hand.

From Los Angeles Times

The Goon Squad came to national attention last year after Rankin County sheriff’s deputies tortured two Black men in their home and shot one of them in the face, nearly killing him.

From New York Times

Six officers, including three from the Goon Squad shift, pleaded guilty and were sentenced to federal prison in March.

From New York Times

In November 2019, the same year that the department came under review for three fatal shootings that involved Goon Squad members, the deputies discussed turning their work into a game: one point for every arrest.

From New York Times

Related Words

• hooligan
• thug