From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishhoodlumhood‧lum /ˈhuːdləm/ noun [countable] CRIMEa criminal, often a young person, who does violent or illegal things SYN gangster
Examples from the Corpus
hoodlum• The police questioned policy-wheel operators, gamblers, and hoodlums of all kinds.• Rufus keeps both hoodlums separate and talks to each one quietly so the other can not hear.• I had gritted my teeth during the tales of murder and mayhem committed by drunken hoodlums from north Belfast.• He had seen a man being chased by two Riotsville hoodlums.• Leroy, one of the newfangled, sensitive hoodlums, has trouble with relationships himself and understands Samantha's frustrations too well.• It was some of these young hoodlums who had mocked him that night, an experience he could never forget.Origin hoodlum (1800-1900) German dialect hudellump “lazy useless person” 