gangster

noun

ˈgaŋ-stər How to pronounce gangster (audio)
Definition of gangsternext
as in thug
a violent, brutal person who is often a member of an organized gang Al Capone remains one of the most notorious gangsters in American history

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 gangster Duane Keith Davis is accused of orchestrating Shakur’s killing in September 1996, and the lore of other rappers and gangsters looms large over his trial. — Aditi Sangal, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026 Especially when the protagonists are fighting gangsters, offensive editors, twitchy Vatican librarians, and an oversized Jason Momoa, to claim the hand of Gal Gadot’s two characters, one in the present, one in the past. — A.d. Amorosi, SPIN, 6 Aug. 2026 Badly in Love manages to break through because the cast of men and women looking for true love are from the Japanese yankii subculture—juvenile delinquents, motorcycle gangsters, troubled women, and more. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 31 July 2026 Clayface stars Tom Rhys Harries (White Lines, Suspicion) as Matt Hagen, a promising actor in Gotham City who’s left mutilated by a mob boss for sleeping with the gangster’s girlfriend. — Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 21 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for gangster
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gangster
  1. thug
  2. criminal
  3. villain
  4. bandit
  5. assassin
  6. mobster
Noun
  • The eponymous former assassin is drawn back into the game after some thugs (led by Alfie Allen) kill his dog and royally piss him off.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Tae-ha’s mom left him after Sang-gil, who was also a boxer prior to becoming a thug, cheated in a match.
    — Kayti Burt, Time, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of thug
Noun
  • Most crimes across Mexico went unsolved, and authorities sometimes appeared to be colluding with criminals instead of fighting them.
    — Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Keeping email, downloads and everyday web activity away from that machine reduces the opportunities criminals have to reach it.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of criminal
Noun
  • There are no villains in Possible Love; there are only people who are aware of others, and people who are not.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The former Democratic speaker was the longtime villain, a mainstay in ads as Republicans linked Democratic candidates to her to paint them as radical and out of touch.
    — James A. Downs, The Washington Examiner, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of villain
Noun
  • Analysts warn each ransom payment fuels more crime as armed groups, from rural bandits to Islamist militants, raid schools, mosques and villages, with an average of 21 kidnappings reported daily.
    — Dyepkazah Shibayan, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The Brigands of Rattlecreek follows a sheriff and a doctor who seek revenge against a group of bandits who use the cover of a torrential thunderstorm to rob and terrorize the occupants of a small town.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of bandit
Noun
  • Making everyone a potential spy or assassin was only an expedient way to destroy institutions internally and externally through financial incentives.
    — Finn Brunton, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Skirting bravely around the edges of space to seek solace, they’re hunted by the Operative (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a deadly Alliance assassin on a mission who seeks to recapture her.
    — Grace Dean, Space.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of assassin
Noun
  • Working titled Jaq, the show will shoot next year and is part of a wider expansion of the Top Boy universe, with Barry Keoghan returning as Irish mobster Jonny McGee in prequel Jonny Boy.
    — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Paramount+ released the teaser trailer (below), and announced the premiere date and synopsis for the new season of the hit crime dramedy, which stars Sylvester Stallone as an Oklahoma mobster.
    — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of mobster

Browse Nearby Words

gangstas
gangster
gangsterism
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gangster.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gangster. Accessed 9 Sep. 2026.

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