French Conversation · Level 123
59 words
French word
voyou
Pronunciation
IPA/vwaju/
Meaning
- masculine nounthug
Example
Ne parle pas à ce voyou, il est dangereux.
Don't talk to that thug; he's dangerous.
More examples
Le voyou s'est enfui quand la police est arrivée.
The thug ran away when the police arrived.
Core concept
A street tough whose behavior crosses into violence, dishonesty, or lawlessness.
Common phrases
un voyou
a thug
des voyous
thugs
Similar words
voleur: Someone who takes other people's property without permission.
délinquant: Someone who engages in petty crime or antisocial behavior.
criminel: Someone who has committed a grave offense.
agresseur: Someone who uses violence to attack another person.
Definition in French
Mot familier qualifiant quelqu'un qui adopte un comportement brutal, immoral ou en marge de la loi, souvent associé à la violence de rue.
Word origin
Voyou became established in nineteenth-century French urban slang, while its precise earlier formation remains uncertain.
Usage tips
- Voyou is a familiar, pejorative noun, so it is unsuitable for formal descriptions of a person.
Other meanings
- ruffiannoun
- scoundrelnoun