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voyou

thug, hoodlum

noun vwah-YOO Less Common
People & Society Crime

Also means

rascal (mild)

Usage Note

Voyou ranges from a playful label for a mischievous child to a serious term for a street criminal, depending on context and tone. The plural is voyous (the final 's' is silent). It is informal to colloquial in register. Une petite voyou is less common; the word is predominantly masculine in usage.

Examples

"Ces voyous traînent dans la rue."

Natural Translation

These thugs hang around in the street.

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