ROUGHHOUSE Synonyms: 140 Similar and Opposite Words

roughhouse 1 of 2

noun

ˈrəf-ˌhau̇s

Definition of roughhouse

as in roughhousing

wildly playful or mischievous behavior their parents simply wouldn't tolerate any roughhouse in the living room

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

roughhouse

2 of 2

verb

as in to wrestle

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

as in to cut up

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of roughhouse

Noun

Geno lost his composure at the end of the game, picked up a T, then critiqued South Carolina’s roughhouse style. — Dan Shaughnessy, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Feb. 2023 Brazil’s team, a double defending champion, had been eliminated in the group stage in the 1966 championship in England, with Pelé literally kicked out of the tournament by the roughhouse play of Brazil’s opponents. — Tariq Panja, New York Times, 29 Dec. 2022

Verb

In the clip, four male golden retriever puppies were roughhousing. — Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Aug. 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for roughhouse

Noun

As expected, Aussies brought the roughhousing.

— Sean Gregory, Time, 20 June 2026
The boys challenge each other to throw heavy objects, which leads to intense roughhousing.

— Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 27 Jan. 2026

Definition of roughhousing

Verb

As the longtime partners wrestle with their dark pasts and present conspiracies, Chris’ newfound bond with a pair of students (Mariana di Girolamo and Ailín Salas) threatens to send everyone’s trip sideways.

— Patrick Hipes, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2026
This fissure triggered one of the 21st century’s bloodiest wars in 2020 when federal forces attempted to wrestle control of the large province of Tigray, leaving up to 600,000 dead by the time a ceasefire deal was signed two years later.

— Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of wrestle

Noun

The video depicts a group of students engaged in horseplay, progressing to two 15-year-olds tussling and laughing, according to the suit.

— Eric Peterson, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2026
The undefeated South Dakota Coyotes prowled into Albertsons Stadium this weekend and turned what could have been an evening of horseplay for the Broncos into a dogfight.

— Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 20 Sep. 2026

Definition of horseplay

Verb

Ultimately, the show attempts to draw a parallel between Lizzie Borden and Aileen Wuornos, portraying them as two women abused and mistreated by society who dared to fight back.

— Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Sep. 2026
Even more consequentially, some jihadi groups turned Muslim publics against them by mistreating Muslim civilians.

— Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of mistreat

Verb

There are certainly fans and pundits who feel that anything short of a title shouldn’t be celebrated in sports, and some who think carousing over anything less is especially beneath the Yankees, who have won 27 World Series but zero since 2009.

— Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 15 Sep. 2026
Three sitting rooms are complemented by a further three members’ social spaces for carousing in, concealed behind a subtle screen (here, DJs including Goldierocks make appearances, and mobile snaps are banned; staff politely place a sticker over mobile camera lenses).

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 May 2026

Definition of carouse

Noun

Arch Manning's joking comments at a news conference about a fake video of coach Steve Sarkisian slapping ESPN reporter Holly Rowe erupted in controversy.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026
Indeed, at lunch, instead of separating into groups to eat, all 16 participants form one mega table and spend the half-hour joking and laughing together.

— Ellise Shafer, Variety, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of joking

Verb

In a darkly comic turn, the father hopes to regain enough weight post-surgery to pummel his ex-wife’s divorce lawyer.

— Anna Mebel, JSTOR Daily, 17 Sep. 2026
Orange County declared a state of emergency after powerful waves pummeled its beaches, causing severe coastal erosion and damaging seaside communities.

— Michele Gile, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of pummel

Browse Nearby Words

rough-hewn

roughhouse

roughhoused

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Roughhouse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/roughhouse. Accessed 30 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of roughhouse

noun

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

epistemic

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes