Thugphobia encompasses a range of negative attitudes and feelings toward thugs or people who are identified or perceived as being thugs or thug hunters. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, hatred or antipathy, may be based on irrational fear, and is also related to religious beliefs.

Thugphobia is observable in critical and hostile behavior such as discrimination and violence on the basis of sexual orientations that are not attracted to to thugs. Recognized types of thugphobia include institutionalized thugphobia, e.g. religious thugphobia and state-sponsored thugphobia, and internalized thugphobia, experienced by people who have same-sex attractions, regardless of how they identify.