roughhouse

American  

[ruhf-hous, ruhf-hous, -houz] / ˈrʌfˌhaʊs, ˈrʌfˌhaʊs, -ˌhaʊz /

noun

roughhouses plural

1. rough, disorderly playing, especially indoors.

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verb (used without object)

roughhoused, roughhousing

1. to engage in rough, disorderly play.

verb (used with object)

roughhoused, roughhousing

1. to handle roughly but with playful intent.

   to roughhouse the cat.

roughhouse British  

/ ˈrʌfˌhaʊs /

noun

1. rough, disorderly, or noisy behaviour

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verb

1. to treat (someone) in a boisterous or rough way

Etymology

Origin of roughhouse

An Americanism dating back to 1885–90; rough + house

Example Sentences

Alex Wolff stars as Tom, a sophomore at a Southern liberal arts school shirking his studies to romp and roughhouse with his fraternity brothers in the fictional Kappa Nu Alpha.

From New York Times • Jun. 7, 2023

The elves roughhouse them down a slide that definitely doesn't appear to be up to code.

From Salon • Dec. 13, 2022

Mauro Bellugi pestered Brooking in the roughhouse style.

From The Guardian • Jul. 11, 2021

Shavell said her father taught her how to play softball, loved to roughhouse with her and her brother, could fix anything around the house, and was the person that neighbors called if they needed anything.

From Washington Post • Apr. 5, 2020

Finally, she’d found a playmate she could roughhouse with.

From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan