A thug means a violent criminal, especially one who uses force to threaten or hurt others.

The word came from India in the 1800s, where it originally described members of gangs who attacked travelers. It gradually became a general term for any rough, violent person or bully who uses intimidation.

Today, some people misuse the word as an insult based on how someone looks rather than how they actually behave. Because of this, many prefer more specific words like criminal, bully, or vandal that describe actual wrongdoing or harmful behavior.