voyou

French

Etymology

From voie (“way”) +‎ -ou, from Latin via.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /vwa.ju/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

voyou m (plural voyous, feminine voyouse or voyoute)

1. (originally) urchin, street child
2. (derogatory) thug, yob, hooligan
   • 1963, “Strip-Tease”, Serge Gainsbourg (lyrics), performed by Nico:

     Si c’est pour toi que je strip-tease / Il faut pourtant que je te dise / Que tu es, soit dit entre nous / Un peu voyeur, un peu voyou

     If you're the one I'm stripping for / I should still tell you / That you are, as we say / Part peeping tom, part ruffian

3. (derogatory) good for nothing

   Synonym: vaurien

Further reading

• “voyou”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.