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Definitions

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

  1. n. Slang A thug hired to intimidate or harm opponents.
  2. n. Slang A stupid or oafish person.

Wiktionary

  1. n. A thug; a usually muscular henchman with little intelligence (also known as a 'hired goon').
  2. n. A fool; someone considered silly, stupid, awkward, or outlandish.
  3. n. An enforcer or fighter.
  4. n. Cheap or inferior cask wine.

WordNet 3.0

  1. n. an awkward stupid person
  2. n. an aggressive and violent young criminal

Etymologies

  1. Probably ultimately short for gooney, simpleton.

Examples

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Lists

These user-created lists contain the word ‘goon’.

Comments

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  • bilby Was in one of the local papers today. Story was about there perhaps being a levy placed on this kind of wine, partly because we have a major problem with street drunks and this is their tipple of choice, partly because the cask bladders they leave in their wake are a non-biodegradable blight on the landscape. First time I'd seen the term. Sep 10, 2009

  • arcadia --bilby, A little late to confirm, isn't it?

    When I see this word, I am forced to think of that really stupid song that my children's great-aunt insists on singing to them all the time, about Little Bunny Foo-foo. ...Dear God, why!?!?! Make it stop. Sep 10, 2009

  • bilby I can confirm what AZ sez. Sep 10, 2009

  • grandpa27 I believe that Goon was used (maybe invented) by Segar, the creator of Popeye the sailor. Google Goon Segar
    Mack Kelly


    Mar 26, 2009

  • abraxaszugzwang I can't remember who had the wine list, but in Australia, goon is the slang for bottom-of-the-barrel cask wine. Mar 9, 2007

‘goon’ has been looked up 2198 times, loved by 2 people, added to 35 lists, commented on 5 times, and has a Scrabble score of 5.