What's the difference between a goon and a thug?

Question

What's the difference between a goon and a thug?

Answer 1

Difference? Not much, both are people with no lives, giving themselves names to feel important.

Answer 2

I believe a goon is for "show" to scare people or intimidate them into doing (or not doing) something.  The word goon sounds like the word "ghoul" to me, and I always think of ghosts and goblins when I hear that word.  You can see ghosts and goblins, but you can't necessarily feel them.

And, I think a thug has a more physical connotation.  For instance, I can readily imagine a thug (rather than a goon) beating someone over the head with a club-- the word "thug" even sounds like "thud!"

(See onomatopoeia definition from Wikipedia below.)

"Onomatopoeia (occasionally spelled onomateopoeia or onomatopœia, from Greek ονοματοποιία) is a word or a grouping of words that imitates the sound it is describing, suggesting its source object, such as "click," "clang," "buzz," or animal noises such as "oink", "quack", "flap", "slurp", or "meow". The word is a synthesis of the Greek words όνομα (onoma, = "name") and ποιέω (poieō, = "I make" or "I do") thus it essentially means "name creation", although it makes more sense combining "name" and "I do", meaning it is named (& spelled) as it sounds (e.g. quack, bang, etc.)."

Answer 3

I'm not really sure, but I've always thought of "goons" as low level members of a large criminal organization, and "thugs" as more  freelancer-type criminals. Or maybe I watch too much tv.

Answer 4

Goon is a slang term referring to thugs hired by bosses or other authorities. It almost exclusively refers to criminal people. Thug is a gangster engaged in robbery and murder.