noun

goon

GOON

noun

A thug or hired muscle, especially one who intimidates or fights on someone else's orders.

"Two goons stood by the door, arms crossed, daring anyone to step forward."

"The debt collector sent his goons to "remind" the shopkeeper."

A foolish, clumsy, or silly person.

"Stop acting like such a goon in front of the cameras."

"He tripped over his own feet like a total goon."

verb

To behave in an aggressive, thuggish, or intimidating way, especially in a group.

"The rival gang goons around outside the club most weekends."

How to Use Goon

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishEither a tough hired enforcer, or just a clumsy/foolish person — context tells you which.

Common pairings

hired goon a bunch of goons act like a goon

Word Forms

gooned past tense, gooned past tense, goons plural, goons plural, Goons plural, goons singular, goons singular

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.

Test yourself on “goon” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

Two _____ stood by the door, arms crossed, daring anyone to step forward.

Etymology

Shortened from "gooney," originally a sailor's word for the albatross and other big, clumsy seabirds. By the early 1900s it had shifted to mean "stupid person," and the "hired thug" sense took off in the late 1930s, partly thanks to the brutish comic-strip character Alice the Goon in Popeye.

Rhymes for goon

noon moon soon hoon toon foon loon boon woon doon Yoon spoon

See all rhymes for goon →