rough up
Britishverb
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informal to treat violently; beat up
-
to cause (feathers, hair, etc) to stand up by rubbing against the grain
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“The skies are a little rough up here,” he remarked with a wry smile, before mentioning that people will think he’s not in good health — but it was really the turbulence causing the problem.
From Salon ● Oct. 31, 2025
Dean, during warm-up, would subtly rough up the ice in the required spot to avoid their knees, which gave far less traction than a sharpened blade, from sliding away under them.
From BBC ● Feb. 13, 2024
Be sure to rough up the surface about an inch or so deep with a hand fork and work an organic fertilizer into the soil before watering it well.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 31, 2023
Quarterback Justin Herbert’s high throw to Mike Williams hit the wide receiver’s hands, but Baltimore’s Marlon Humphrey — one of the gnarliest corners in this N.F.L. — was on the spot to rough up Williams.
From New York Times ● Oct. 17, 2021
But he couldn’t let the two mean dogs rough up a weak old stray who looked like he might not even have any teeth.
From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein
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.
