roughhouse

• rough house, rough-house

From rough +‎ house.

• IPA^(key): /ˈɹʌf.haʊs/
• IPA^(key): /ˈɹʌf.haʊz/ (verb also)

• Audio (US):

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roughhouse (comparative more roughhouse, superlative most roughhouse)

1. (idiomatic) Of behavior, rowdy, boisterous, or fighting.
   • 2009, Jerry Roberts, Encyclopedia of Television Film Directors, page 107:

     The film presents Gia as a roughhouse girl plopped down in the world of instant fame, sex, money, and drugs.

roughhouse (uncountable)

1. (idiomatic) Rowdy behavior.

roughhouse (third-person singular simple present roughhouses, present participle roughhousing, simple past and past participle roughhoused)

1. (intransitive) To behave rowdily or violently.
   1. To play roughly (with physical roughness).

      Synonym: horseplay (verb)

      Out in the street, some delinquents were roughhousing, until the police drove by.

   2. To commit physical assault.

      Out in the street, some delinquents were roughhousing, until the police drove by.

2. (transitive) To treat (someone or something) roughly or violently.

   Synonyms: rough up, work over

   Out in the street, some delinquents were roughhousing a victim, until the police drove by.