1. resembling or characteristic of a thug; violent, brutal, or criminal in behavior or appearance

Examples

• The thuggish behavior of the gang members frightened local residents.
• His thuggish appearance made people cross the street to avoid him.
• The security guards used thuggish tactics to remove the protesters.
• She was disturbed by her boyfriend’s increasingly thuggish attitude.
• The movie portrayed the villain as a thuggish criminal with no redeeming qualities.
• The coach criticized the team’s thuggish play during the game.