Reading Theme:

Language:

Font Size:

📕 rednote ID(小红书号)：3881567312

Gang Definition, Usage & Common Mistakes Explained (2 meaning)

Meaning 1：a group of associates (gang)

gang 🔊

/ɡæŋ/

n./v.

A group of people who spend a lot of time together, often involved in some common, sometimes illegal, activities.

Gang definition illustrated by a group of teens in similar attire against a graffiti wall.

a group of associates 🔊

➕

/ə ɡruːp əv əˈsoʊ.si.ɪts/

n./v.

Refers to a closely-knit group of people, typically friends or peers, who frequently associate with one another. This group often shares common interests, styles, or territories, and the term can carry a neutral, informal, or negative connotation, frequently associated with delinquency or organized crime.

📁 Category：Social Roles 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Old English 'gang' meaning 'a going, journey, way', related to 'gongan' (to go).

💡 Mnemonic

GANG sounds like 'going' - a group going together.

📖 Example

The gang of teenagers wearing similar jackets often hung out near the old skate park after school. 🔊 The group of associates, the teenagers wearing similar jackets, often spent time near the old skate park after school.

🔗 Collocations

gang member – A person who is part of a gang.

gang violence – Violent acts committed by or involving gang members.

street gang – A gang that is based typically in an urban neighborhood.

🔄 Synonyms

crew (n.) – A group of people who work together or associate closely.

band (n.) – A group of people who have a common purpose or share similar traits.

clique (n.) – A small, exclusive group of people with shared interests.

🚫 Antonyms

individual (n.) – A single person considered separately from a group.

soloist (n.) – A person who performs or acts alone.

🌱 Derivatives

gangster (n.) – A member of a gang of violent criminals.

gangland (n.) – The world of organized crime and the gangs involved in it.

📖 Cultural Story

The word 'gang' originally meant a 'journey' or 'way' in Old English and Old Norse. By the 14th century, it evolved to mean a 'set of articles' and then a 'group of people traveling together', which later narrowed to a cohesive, often antisocial, group.

Meaning 2：to form a temporary group (gang)

gang 🔊

/ɡæŋ/

n./v.

To form a group and act together, usually for a temporary purpose like doing a task or confronting someone.

Gang up verb scene showing friends forming a spontaneous team in a park.

to form a temporary group 🔊

➕

/tuː fɔːrm ə ˈtem.pə.rer.i ɡruːp/

n./v.

Describes the action of people coming together to form a group, usually for a specific, often immediate, purpose such as completing a task, opposing something, or confronting someone. It implies collective, coordinated action.

📁 Category：Behaviors & Actions 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

Let's gang up and finish cleaning the community garden before it gets dark. 🔊 Let's form a temporary group and finish cleaning the community garden before it gets dark.

🔗 Collocations

gang up on – To unite as a group against someone or something.

gang up to – To unite as a group in order to achieve a specific goal.

gang together – To come together to form a group.

🔄 Synonyms

team up (v.) – To join together with someone to form a team.

join forces (v.) – To combine efforts or resources with others.

collaborate (v.) – To work jointly with others on an activity or project.

🚫 Antonyms

act alone (v.) – To do something by oneself without assistance from others.

separate (v.) – To move or cause to move apart.