ride roughshod
Disregard others' feelings
To ride roughshod over someone or something is to treat them with brutal disregard, ignoring their wishes or rights entirely: The developer rode roughshod over neighborhood objections.
The image comes from horses shod with protruding nails for traction—being trampled by one would be especially damaging.
The phrase almost always appears with "over."
- trampleCrush by stepping
- run overStrike with a vehicle
- walk all overTreat with total disregard
- bulldozeDemolish using heavy equipment
- dominateControl through superior strength
crush · steamroll · overpower · iron fist · bully · push around · tyrannize · oppress · stomp · disregard · ruthless · callous · merciless · hooves · cavalry · conquer · lord it over · subjugate
- Horse Idiomshold your horses, dark horse, high horse, straight from the horse's mouth, horse sense
- risk phrasestake a chance, take a gamble, risk it all, go for broke, roll the dice
- oppressoppress, persecute, tyrannize, subjugate, dominate
ride roughshodhandle with care
Instruction for delicate items
coddle · accommodate · pamper · indulge · humor
ride roughshodtread carefully
Move with deliberate caution
proceed with caution · work around · tiptoe around · compromise · collaborate
ride, rides, ridden, riding, rider, riders, rough, roughs, roughed