brigand
Roving armed thief
A brigand is a bandit or outlaw, especially one belonging to a gang that ambushes travelers in wild or lawless territory.
The word evokes a romanticized image of highway robbers in remote mountain passes or forests: The brigands demanded gold from the merchant caravan.
Now mostly literary or historical.
Bold, reckless outlaw
- fugitiveOne fleeing authorities
- criminalPerson who breaks laws
- felonSerious crime perpetrator
- lawbreakerOne who commits crimes
renegade · miscreant · malefactor · scofflaw · bootlegger · smuggler · cutthroat · villain
Caribbean colonial-era pirate
- corsairPirate or pirate ship
- freebooterMaritime plunderer seeking booty
- privateerAuthorized civilian warship
- pirateMaritime thief or bootlegger
sea rover · swashbuckler · sea dog · plunderer · pillager · hijacker · smuggler
One who loots
- pillagerOne who ransacks
- looterThief exploiting disorder
- footpadAnimal's plantar surface
- cutpurseHistorical term for thief
thief · mugger · holdup man · road agent · bushwhacker · snatcher · rustler · poacher
One who revolts
- guerrillaIrregular armed fighter
- revolutionarySeeking fundamental systemic change
- mutineerSailor who revolts
- partisanBiased toward one side
resistance fighter · freedom fighter · insurrectionist · separatist · militant · irregular · commando · maquis
desperado
Bold, reckless outlaw
lawbreaker · renegade · miscreant · malefactor · scofflaw · bootlegger · smuggler · cutthroat · villain · ruffian
buccaneer
Caribbean colonial-era pirate
- corsairPirate or pirate ship
- freebooterMaritime plunderer seeking booty
- privateerAuthorized civilian warship
pirate · sea rover · swashbuckler · sea dog · plunderer · pillager · hijacker · smuggler
plunderer
One who loots
cutpurse · thief · mugger · holdup man · road agent · bushwhacker · snatcher · rustler · poacher · burglar
insurgent
One who revolts
- guerrillaIrregular armed fighter
- revolutionarySeeking fundamental systemic change
- mutineerSailor who revolts
partisan · resistance fighter · freedom fighter · insurrectionist · separatist · militant · irregular · commando · maquis · fedayeen
mobster
Organized crime member
- mafiosoOrganized crime syndicate member
- racketeerOrganized crime participant
- kingpinCriminal organization's leader
capo · enforcer · hoodlum · goon · thug · bruiser · hitman · tough · heavy · muscle
- Plundererslooter, pillager, plunderer, ransacker, ravager
- roguesrogue, rogues, scoundrel, scoundrels, rascal
- thievesthief, burglar, pickpocket, shoplifter, cat burglar
- troublemakerstroublemaker, rascals, delinquents, imps, brats
- renegadesrenegade, rebel, traitor, turncoat, defector
- hired fightersmercenary, soldier of fortune, gun for hire, hired gun, sellsword
- fire brigadeOrganized blaze-fighting unit
- bucket brigadeHand-to-hand water relay
- volunteer brigadeUnpaid organized service group
- infantry brigadeMilitary unit of foot soldiers
- brigade de cuisineProfessional kitchen's ranked workforce
- armored brigadeMilitary unit with tanks