roughing up
Giving someone bruises
Roughing up is physical mistreatment that stops short of serious injury—shoving, slapping, manhandling: The cops roughed him up in the back of the cruiser.
It suggests intimidation or punishment rather than a genuine beating.
The phrase can extend to verbal aggression or harsh criticism: The committee roughed up the nominee during questioning.
- manhandleTreat with physical force
- roughhousingRowdy physical play
- beat upAssault physically, cause injury
- beating upPhysically assaulting someone
- working overBeating someone severely
thrash · batter · pummel · knocking around · scuffle · pushing · slapping · jostling · haranguing · striking · laying hands on · disparaging · attack · tussling · lambasting · fighting · grappling · clash
- hair stylingblow dryer, blow drying, curling iron, blow-dry, curling wand
- thuggerybullying, intimidation, strong-arming, menacing, threatening
- beatingsbeating, thrashing, pummeling, pounding, battering
- abusemistreatment, domestic abuse, elder abuse, maltreatment, cruelty
- harmharming, injury, hurting, abuse, injuring
- violenceviolence, physical attack, brutality, physical violence, aggression
roughing upcaressing
Touching with affection
gentle touch · petting · soothing · massaging · cradling
roughing uphandling with kid gloves
Treating with excessive gentleness
nurturing · comforting · pampering · caring for · protecting
rough, roughed, roughs, rougher, roughest, roughly, roughness, roughen, roughened