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Glite Dictionary
ruthless goonda

ruthless goonda

9.9
A person who uses violence and threats to force people to give money
  • noun
  • Offensive
translation icon : matón (India, informal, ofensivo)
  • The neighborhood lived in fear of the ruthless goonda who controlled the streets.

Examples

  • The city is plagued by a ruthless goonda who terrorizes local businesses.

  • Police arrested a ruthless goonda after a series of violent incidents.

  • Despite his charming appearance, he turned out to be a ruthless goonda involved in extortion.

  • Did you hear about the ruthless goonda arrested last night?

  • The neighborhood lived in fear of the ruthless goonda who controlled the streets.

  • Police arrested a ruthless goonda after a series of violent incidents.

  • The city is plagued by a ruthless goonda who terrorizes local businesses.

Synonyms

thug
vsruthless goonda
  • Offensive
244 4.9

A violent person who attacks or threatens others

is more extreme and tied to South Asian usage
goon
vsruthless goonda
  • Offensive
76 8.1

A violent person hired to threaten or hurt others

is more focused on extreme violence rather than hired work
Rambo
vsruthless goonda
  • Offensive
9 8.3

A person who acts very tough and reckless in arguments or fights

is a violent criminal, not a heroic lone warrior
notorious goonda
vsruthless goonda
  • Offensive
9.9

A criminal who uses violence to scare people in a local area

is used for particularly violent or aggressive criminals rather than fame
street fighter
vsruthless goonda
6.8

A person who uses aggressive, unfair methods to win in business or politics

is a violent criminal figure rather than a competitive fighter

How Violent

ruthless goonda
  • Offensive
9.9
thug
  • Offensive
244 4.9
goon
  • Offensive
76 8.1
enforcer
  • NSFW
27 7.2
hooligan
  • Offensive
37 6.3
troublemaker
  • Offensive
69 4.1

Surface Forms

goonda singular
goondas plural

Morphology

ruthless + goonda

This is a simple adjective + noun composition: 'ruthless' (without mercy) straightforwardly modifies 'goonda' (a thug). If a B1 learner knows the meaning of both constituents, the overall meaning (a particularly violent/aggressive thug) is directly derivable, though note that 'goonda' is a regionally specific loanword that many learners may not know.

Etymology

Ruthless goonda combines English ruthless, meaning cruel, and the South Asian word goonda, from Hindi 'gunda' meaning 'thug'. The phrase paints a picture of a cruel street criminal, so it means 'a very violent or aggressive thug'.