Definition

1. Verb (transitive):
   • To treat someone violently, especially by hitting or beating them: The phrase "rough up" means to physically assault someone, typically without causing extremely serious injury, but in a manner that is aggressive and intimidating.

Usage

• Verb:
  • This phrasal verb is used to describe an act of physical aggression that is often intended to frighten, punish, or gain control over someone.
  • It is commonly used in informal contexts and often implies a degree of brutality or lack of restraint.
  • The object of the verb is the person being assaulted.

Examples

• Verb:
  • The gang threatened to rough him up if he didn't pay them.
  • Security guards were accused of roughing up a protester during the demonstration.
  • He claimed the police roughed him up during the arrest.

Advanced Usage

• "to get roughed up": to be the victim of such an assault.
  • The journalist got roughed up by the dictator's guards.
• The phrase can sometimes be used more figuratively to mean to treat something harshly or without care, though this is less common.
  • Don't rough up the manuscript; it's very old and delicate.

Variants and Related Words

• Rough (verb): To handle or treat in a coarse, harsh, or violent manner. (e.g., / )
• Strong-arm (verb): To use force or violence against someone. This is a close synonym often used in similar contexts.
• Manhandle (verb): To handle someone roughly by pushing or pulling them.

Synonyms

• Assault: To make a physical attack on.
• Beat up: To hit someone repeatedly and violently (often implies more severe injury than "rough up").
• Mistreat: To treat someone badly or cruelly.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Beat up: To injure someone by hitting them repeatedly. This often suggests a more severe beating than "rough up."
• Push around: To treat someone roughly or bully them, which may or may not involve physical violence.

Related Idioms

• Knock around/about: To hit someone or treat them roughly. This is very similar in meaning to "rough up."
  • He was knocked around by the bullies at school.

Verb

1. treat violently
   • The police strong-armed the suspect