rough and tumble
Chaotic and unrefined
Rough and tumble describes disorderly, unrestrained physical struggle or competition.
A rough-and-tumble childhood involves scrapping and wrestling.
The phrase extends to any arena where the action is aggressive and the rules informal: the rough and tumble of politics, the rough-and-tumble world of startups.
As a noun, a rough-and-tumble is a scuffle or brawl.
Rowdy physical play
- horseplayBoisterous rough behavior
- wrestlingCombat sport requiring holds
- scufflingFighting in disorderly fashion
- tusslingEngaging in rough struggle
playfighting · rowdy · boisterous · rambunctious · unruly · energetic · physical · spirited
Viciously competitive or murderous
- aggressiveHostile and confrontational
- fierceViolently intense or aggressive
- combativeInclined toward conflict
- competitiveDriven by rivalry
brutal · ruthless · dog-eat-dog · hard-hitting · unforgiving · relentless · intense · scrappy
Totally without arrangement
- messyLacking order or neatness
- disorderlyNot arranged neatly
- unpolishedLacking finish or refinement
- unrefinedNot processed or polished
haphazard · scrappy · ragged · disheveled · unkempt · slapdash · makeshift · improvised
roughhousing
Rowdy physical play
- horseplayBoisterous rough behavior
- wrestlingCombat sport requiring holds
- scufflingFighting in disorderly fashion
tussling · playfighting · rowdy · boisterous · rambunctious · unruly · energetic · physical · spirited · lively
cutthroat
Viciously competitive or murderous
- aggressiveHostile and confrontational
- fierceViolently intense or aggressive
- combativeInclined toward conflict
competitive · brutal · ruthless · dog-eat-dog · hard-hitting · unforgiving · relentless · intense · scrappy · no-holds-barred
chaotic
Totally without arrangement
- messyLacking order or neatness
- disorderlyNot arranged neatly
- unpolishedLacking finish or refinement
unrefined · haphazard · scrappy · ragged · disheveled · unkempt · slapdash · makeshift · improvised · untidy
rough and tumblepolished
Smooth, refined, accomplished
refined · genteel · elegant · sophisticated · civilized
rough and tumbleorderly
Arranged with care
organized · structured · methodical · systematic · disciplined
rough, tumble, roughly, roughness, roughen, rougher, roughest, roughs, roughed