roughen up
Add texture deliberately
To roughen up is to make a surface rough or textured, often deliberately: Roughen up the wood before applying the glue.
It also means to treat someone roughly or aggressively, usually as intimidation: The thugs roughened him up before the boss arrived.
The phrase suggests physical handling short of serious injury.
- sandpaperAbrasive-coated finishing material
- abrasionShallow surface wound
- hardenMake or become firm
- coarseRough in texture
- scratchSuperficial wound or mark
intimidate · scuff · scrape · grit · agitate · ruffle up · prepare · jagged · temper · dent · wear and tear · break in · uneven · bully · toughen · provoke · harass · fortify
roughen upsmooth
Without roughness or difficulty
polish · smooth out · buff · sand down · smooth over
roughen uphandle with care
Instruction for delicate items
coddle · pamper · protect · leave alone · comfort
rough, roughen, rougher, roughest, roughly, roughness, roughened, roughening, roughage