Word
goon
US/ˈɡun/
UK/ɡˈuːn/
Countable noun
Definition
n. a person who is hired to threaten or hurt others. It can also mean someone who acts in a silly or stupid way.
n. a person hired to intimidate or harm others, often acting as a low-level enforcer for a criminal or organization. In modern slang, it can also refer to a foolish or eccentric person.
Examples
“The boss sent a goon to collect the money.”
“The politician was surrounded by goons who prevented the reporters from asking any difficult questions.”
Examples
simple
“The boss sent a goon to collect the money.”
contextual
“The politician was surrounded by goons who prevented the reporters from asking any difficult questions.”
Usage
Often used in a derogatory or humorous way depending on the context of violence versus silliness.
Real-World Examples
“She was brought up by an “aunt” whose family had been killed by goons employed by Haiti’s dictator-in-chief Papa Doc Duvalier.” “Here’s what I believe will happen: The federal government will send a group of a dozen goons to a suburban polling place somewhere, and they’ll have a camera crew with them.” Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dʰeǵʰ- Proto-Indo-European *-ōm Proto-Indo-European *dʰéǵʰōm Proto-Indo-European *-ō Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰmṓ Proto-Germanic *gumô Proto-West Germanic *gumō Old English guma Middle English gone? English gooney English goon Shortened from gooney, from obsolete gony (“simpleton”), used circa 1580, of unknown origin. Perhaps a familiar term derived from Middle English gone, a variant of gome (“man, person”). Gony was applied by sailors to the albatross and similar big, clumsy birds (circa 1839). The term goon first carried the meaning "stupid person" (circa 1921). Compare Scots goni, guni (“a bogey, bugbear, hobgoblin”), dialectal Swedish gonnar (“elves, goblins”, plural). * Etymology 1 sense 1 ("hired thug"; circa 1938) is largely influenced by the comic strip character Alice the Goon from the Popeye series. * Etymology 1 sense 3 ("fool") was reinforced by the popular radio program, The Goon Show, starring Spike Milligan and Peter Sellers. * Etymology 1 sense 5 ("guard") was influenced by both etymology 1 sense 1 and etymology 1 sense 3, though not by The Goon Show reference, which arose about 10 years after WWII.
Possibly derived from etymology 1, from etymology 1 sense 3 ("a fool; a stupid person"), or from etymology 1 sense 1 ("a thug").
Perhaps diminutive slang for flagon or from Aboriginal English goom.
Borrowed from Japanese 呉音 (goon).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
01. goon squad
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C2 ProficiencyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.8.5–9.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 6.0114–120
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C2 · Proficiency
- Updated
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