Bounders

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Individuals who act in an inconsiderate or unacceptable manner, often lacking propriety or social grace
2. people who violate social norms and exhibit bad behavior
3. those who engage in activities deemed unacceptable or beneath the standards of their peers

Etymology: "Bounders" is the plural of "bounder," a word that, in its main modern sense, names a man who behaves in ways his peers consider ungentlemanly. Its core lies in the verb "bound," meaning to leap or spring, with the suffix "-er" marking the one who does it. The earliest sense was simply a person who bounds or leaps about, and the figurative jump from physical movement to social conduct is what gave the word its later edge. A second, possibly separate, strand may lie in the Hindi word "bandar," meaning "monkey," which entered English through Indian English. The link is uncertain, but the image of an unruly, leaping creature would fit the later insult well. Readers should treat this as a suggestion rather than settled history.

Synonyms: rascals, scoundrels, rogues, villains, knaves

Antonyms: gentlemen, heroes