rough·house
ˈrəf-ˌhau̇s 
-ˌhau̇z
roughhoused; roughhousing
: to treat in a boisterously rough manner
: to engage in roughhouse
Examples of roughhouse in a Sentence
Noun
their parents simply wouldn't tolerate any roughhouse in the living room
Verb
The kids were roughhousing in the living room.
Recent Examples on the Web
Peter Marks, Washington Post, 14 Nov. 2023
Weighing between eight and 10 pounds, these pooches are not ideal for young kids who tend to roughhouse.
—Country Living, 1 May 2023
Angel Saunders, People.com, 21 June 2025
While the attempt is made to laugh this off as the result of some sort of roughhousing with Chelsea, even Chrishell suggests to the camera that there’s a more adult explanation.
—Anne Victoria Clark, Vulture, 6 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for roughhouse
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Noun
This makes the roughhouse ballet a satisfying bridge to the final scene in Roberta’s room, where their vulnerabilities are revealed.
—Peter Marks, Washington Post, 14 Nov. 2023
Weighing between eight and 10 pounds, these pooches are not ideal for young kids who tend to roughhouse.
—Country Living, 1 May 2023
Verb
In a video posted to Instagram by Michael Rubin on Friday, June 20, the former NFL players — who each played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New England Patriots — were shown having a bit of fun while roughhousing at Fanatics Fest 2025 in New York City.
—Angel Saunders, People.com, 21 June 2025
While the attempt is made to laugh this off as the result of some sort of roughhousing with Chelsea, even Chrishell suggests to the camera that there’s a more adult explanation.
—Anne Victoria Clark, Vulture, 6 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for roughhouse
Cite this Entry
“Roughhouse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/roughhouse. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
roughhouse
1 of 2 noun
rough·house
ˈrəf-ˌhau̇s
: violence or rough noisy play
roughhouse
2 of 2 verb
rough·house
-ˌhau̇s
-ˌhau̇z
roughhoused; roughhousing
: to take part in roughhouse
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