gangster

gang-ster · noun

imported

Definitions

noun

  1. 1.

    A member of an organized criminal gang, especially one involved in violent crime.

  2. 2.

    (slang) Someone who acts in a tough or intimidating manner.

Forms

plural: gangsters

Phrases & expressions

  • •
    gangster rap — a genre of hip-hop music featuring themes of street crime
  • •
    gangster film — a movie genre depicting organized crime

Related words

See also: gang, gangsters, mobster
Synonyms: criminal, hoodlum, mobster, racketeer

Etymology

From gang + -ster (agent suffix), first recorded in the 1890s in American English.