characterized by violent, random, disorderly action and struggles.
a rough-and-tumble fight; He led an adventuresome, rough-and-tumble life.
given to such action.
First recorded in 1785–95
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
If EVs are coming for the world, this is the rough-and-tumble frontier.
From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026
Davey Lopes rose from a rough-and-tumble Rhode Island upbringing to become the Dodgers’ leadoff batter and second baseman as part of a historic infield from 1973-1981.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026
Mr. Soto makes evocative use of pop songs and a wandering clarinet motif, and with cinematographer Juan Sarmiento G. fashions a rough-and-tumble aesthetic well-suited to its chaotic central character.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 29, 2026
Yet to many he was best experienced onstage, where he’d thread his songs into a kind of running monologue about his rough-and-tumble life.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 15, 2025
I found myself smack between Chase and Mattie and the three rough-and-tumble boys chasing them.
From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
