Thesaurus results for GANGSTA

gangsta

noun

ˈgaŋ(k)-stə

Definition of gangsta

as in thug

a violent, brutal person who is often a member of an organized gang the short, violence-filled life of an inner-city gangsta

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of gangsta In fact, all forms of Persian rap — from street rap and gangsta to philosophical and social hip-hop — were used in the service of protest, with many works accompanied by heavy beats, dark atmospheres, and harsh narrative styles. — Ali Farahmand, IndieWire, 23 May 2025 The tough, gangsta image that defined late ’80s and early ’90s hip-hop had now been sanded down into something more aspirational and decidedly capitalist. — Kyndall Cunningham, Vox, 12 May 2025 The Geto Boys used expletives and a lot of bravado, but the core of their message is that a ‘gangsta’ is unafraid to be themselves, and confident in their experience. — Angela Andaloro, People.com, 9 May 2025 According to Shaw, this is exactly what happened when Tupac later moved to Los Angeles and fully embraced the elevated gangsta image. — Jessica Bennett, VIBE.com, 18 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for gangsta

Recent Examples of Synonyms for gangsta

Noun

These low-level thugs typically are not believed to be formally aligned with Iran.

— Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 13 Oct. 2026
Borisov, who broke through as a thug with a poet’s soul in the 2024 Anora, vests Ilya with the same spiritual contours.

— Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of thug

Noun

Certain alleyways were favored for chases and gangster murders.

— Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
When citizens rioted in 1918 because the prices of essential commodities such as rice had spiralled out of control, gangsters were hired to crack down on the protesters.

— Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of gangster

Noun

Still, a criminal may combine those details with passwords, PINs or other information stolen elsewhere.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026
Pillay, 85, received the news while attending a forum in Nuremberg, Germany, where the trials of Nazi war criminals helped lay the foundations of international law.

— Stefanie Dazio, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of criminal

Noun

The station is soon invaded by out-of-time baseball stars, fairytale villains, and unseasonal snow, all created by aliens eager to understand the concept of imagination.

— Richard Edwards, Space.com, 10 Oct. 2026
Carrie’s focus is also shifted, with the 2013 version finding Chloe Grace Moretz’s Carrie more akin to an X-Men villain than the traumatized, feverish teen Sissy Spacek played in 1976.

— Alex Zalben, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of villain

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gangs

gangsta

gangstas

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“Gangsta.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gangsta. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of gangsta

noun

Example Sentences

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