Dictionary

ride roughshod over en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˌɹaɪd ˈɹʌfʃɒd ˌəʊvə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (Australia) audio
• /ˌɹaɪd ˈɹʌfʃɑd ˌoʊvɚ/ (General-American)

Etymology

A horse is roughshod if its hooves are shod with horseshoes that have calks (projecting parts to prevent slipping). Thus, something that a roughshod horse is ridden over is likely to be damaged by the projections of its horseshoes.

Meanings

1. (idiomatic, transitive) To treat (someone) roughly or without care, control, moderation, or respect; to act in a bullying manner toward (someone); to damage (someone or something).
   • He [Sanjay Gandhi] was a selfish, untalented and unprincipled man who rode roughshod over his mother [Indira Gandhi]. 2001 June 25, Michael Fathers, “Demystifying a Demagogue”, in Time, New York, N.Y.: Time Warner Publishing, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 01 Oct 2009:
   • “[…] where I come from we aren't accustomed to being ridden over roughshod by any parrot-mouthed, pig-headed mule in a pop-gun pea-shooter battery. Are you ready?” 1894 May, Rudyard Kipling, “Her Majesty's Servants”, in The Jungle Book, London; New York, N.Y.: Macmillan and Co., published June 1894, →OCLC:
   • [B]eing in high ſpirits, after dinner, one of them being called upon for a toaſt, gave, „The d——l ride roughſhod over the raſcally part of the creation.” 1795, The Festival of Wit, Being a Collection of Bon-mots, Anecdotes, etc. of the Most Exalted Characters, volume [I], Dresden: […] C. and F. Walther, →OCLC, page 48:
   • He was brusque; he often rode roughshod over feminine sensibilities. 1901, Henry B[lake] Fuller, “The Downfall of Abner Joyce”, in Under the Skylights, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC, chapter VI, page 28:
   • The intention was, in riding roughshod over me, to ride roughshod over socialism at a stroke, which is to say, ride roughshod over the protests coming from the proletariat and, in so doing, to take another stride down the path of reaction. 2011, Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, “Address to the Constituent National Assembly [31 July 1848]”, in Paul Sharkey, transl., edited by Iain McKay, Property is Theft!: A Pierre-Joseph Proudhon Anthology, Oakland, Calif.; Edinburgh: AK Press, →ISBN, page 345:
   • [H]ad the Commons of England been of his way of thinking, Charles [I of England] and his prerogative would have ridden roughshod over their necks at will. 1839, [H. M. Fletcher], chapter VII, in The Wizard of Windshaw. A Tale of the Seventeenth Century. […], volume III, London: J. W. Southgate, […], →OCLC, page 173:
   • Thus, revelling amidst the wrecks of poor, feeble, helpless, ruined woman, man rides roughshod over his slaughtered victim, (Jehu like), saying, "I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of my heart, to add drunkenness to thirst." 1845 September, “Woman Lost, Woman Restored, and Man Warned”, in The Mariners’ Church Gospel Temperance Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Magazine, volume XXV, number 9, London: Naval and Military Office, […], and by Basteil, […] for the Temperance British and Foreign Seaman, Soldiers, and Steamers’ Friend Society, and Bethel Flag Union, →OCLC, page 412:
   • [Richard] Ingrams has always enjoyed a reputation for insensitivity. As with other columnists in the British press, he treads on toes to make his point and rides roughshod over issues that others handle with kid gloves, or avoid altogether. 2003 August 3, Stephen Pritchard, “Racist or just anti-Sharon?”, in The Guardian:
   • We'll teach these magnates that they cannot ride rough-shod over the rights of the commoners, confound them! 1901 August – 1902 April, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “The Man on the Tor”, in The Hound of the Baskervilles: Another Adventure of Sherlock Holmes, London: George Newnes, […], published 1902, →OCLC, page 246:
   • He's so absent-minded and goodnatured, he lets those boys ride over him roughshod. 1869, Louisa M[ay] Alcott, chapter 33, in Little Women: […], 2nd part, Boston, Mass.: Roberts Brothers, →OCLC:

Forms

Relateds

intimidate

Synonyms

ride over · run roughshod over

Translations (37)

it calpestare (to treat someone roughly) · es pasar a llevar (to treat someone roughly) · hu lábbal tipor (to treat someone roughly) · cmn 打壓 /打压 (to treat someone roughly) · cmn 橫行霸道 /横行霸道 (to treat someone roughly) · es pisotear (to treat someone roughly) · is troða á (to treat someone roughly) · it maltrattare (to treat someone roughly) · nl met voeten treden (to treat someone roughly) · hu átgázol (to treat someone roughly) · de mit Füßen treten (to treat someone roughly) · tr itip kakmak (to treat someone roughly) · de unterbuttern (to treat someone roughly) · vi chà đạp (to treat someone roughly) · it oltraggiare (to treat someone roughly) · ru тира́нить (to treat someone roughly) · fi talloa (to treat someone roughly) · fi polkea (to treat someone roughly) · ru попира́ть (to treat someone roughly) · hu eltapos (to treat someone roughly) · cmn 欺壓 /欺压 (to treat someone roughly) · pl sponiewierać (to treat someone roughly) · hu elnyom (to treat someone roughly) · hu keresztülgázol (to treat someone roughly) · de trampeln über (to treat someone roughly) · hu eltipor (to treat someone roughly) · is fara með eins og hund (to treat someone roughly) · is láta kné fylgja kviði (to treat someone roughly) · it trattare in malo modo (to treat someone roughly) · is traðka á (to treat someone roughly) · fr fouler aux pieds (to treat someone roughly) · pl poniewierać (to treat someone roughly) · ru попра́ть (to treat someone roughly) · de missachten (to treat someone roughly) · vi hà hiếp (to treat someone roughly) · hu lábbal tapos (to treat someone roughly) · de sich hinwegsetzen über (to treat someone roughly)

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