A thug is a violent man — someone rough and frightening who hurts people, often for money and often working with others. You picture him with his fists, not with an argument.

A thug thug is指的是 a violent man一個暴力的男人 — someone rough and frightening who hurts people一個粗暴又嚇人、會傷害別人的人, often for money and often working with others通常是為了錢，也常常跟其他人一起行動. You你 picture him with his fists腦中浮現的是他揮拳頭的樣子, not with an argument不是他跟人講道理的樣子.

Newspapers love the word: 'football thugs', 'a gang of thugs broke into the shop'. It is always an insult; nobody calls himself a thug in normal English. It can be stretched a little away from real violence, to mean someone who bullies and pushes people around — 'the boss is a thug' means he frightens people, not that he punches them.

Newspapers love the word報紙很愛用這個字: 'football thugs''football thugs'（足球流氓）, 'a gang of thugs broke into the shop''a gang of thugs broke into the shop'（一群暴徒闖進店裡）. It它 is always an insult永遠是罵人的話; nobody calls himself a thug in normal English在正常英文裡沒有人會自稱thug. It它 can be stretched a little away from real violence也可以稍微引申，脫離真正的暴力, to mean someone who bullies and pushes people around指那種欺負人、對人頤指氣使的人 — 'the boss is a thug' means he frightens people, not that he punches them'the boss is a thug'的意思是他讓人害怕，不是說他真的會揍人.

The history is worth knowing. The word came into English from India, from Hindustani ठग (ṭhag), meaning a cheat or swindler. The Thuggee were gangs who robbed and killed travellers in India from the 1600s to the 1800s, often by strangling them. Under British rule many Indian words came into English, and by 1810 'thug' meant a member of those gangs; by 1839 it had widened to mean any cruel robber or violent man.

The history是它的歷史 is worth knowing值得了解. The word這個字 came into English from India是從印度進入英文的, from Hindustani ठग (ṭhag)來自印度斯坦語ठग（ṭhag）, meaning a cheat or swindler意思是騙子或詐欺犯. The Thuggee Thuggee were gangs who robbed and killed travellers in India from the 1600s to the 1800s是從17世紀到19世紀在印度搶劫並殺害旅人的幫派, often by strangling them常常用勒死的方式下手. Under British rule在英國統治印度期間, many Indian words came into English很多印度字都進入了英文, and by 1810 'thug' meant a member of those gangs到1810年，'thug'指的是那些幫派的成員; by 1839 it had widened to mean any cruel robber or violent man到1839年，意思擴大成任何殘忍的搶匪或暴力男子.

Now, one important thing your students should know before they use it: in American English today, 'thug' is frequently used about young Black men in a way many people hear as racist — a polite-looking word doing an ugly job. Plenty of Americans will react strongly if you use it that way. It is not a banned word, but it is not the safe, neutral word for 'criminal' that a dictionary line makes it look like.

Now, one important thing your students should know before they use it現在，有一件重要的事，你的學生在使用這個字之前應該知道: in American English today在現在的美式英文裡, 'thug' is frequently used about young Black men in a way many people hear as racist'thug'常常被用來指年輕黑人男性，很多人聽起來會覺得帶有種族歧視 — a polite-looking word doing an ugly job表面看起來體面，做的卻是難聽的事. Plenty of Americans will react strongly if you use it that way如果你這樣用這個字，很多美國人會有強烈的反應. It它 is not a banned word不是一個被禁止的字, but it is not the safe, neutral word for 'criminal' that a dictionary line makes it look like但它也不像字典那一行解釋看起來那樣，是個安全、中性、單純指'罪犯'的字.