Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Shod with horseshoes having projecting nails or points to prevent slipping.
  • adjective Marked by brutal force.
  • idiom (ride roughshod over) To treat with brutal force.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Shod with shoes armed with points or calks: as, a horse is said to be roughshod when his shoes are roughed or sharpened for slippery roads.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Shod with shoes armed with points or calks.
  • adjective to pursue a course regardless of the pain or distress it may cause others.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective of a horse having hooves shod with calks or horseshoes that have projecting nails to prevent slipping
  • adjective by extension brutal or domineering

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective (of a horse) having horseshoes with projecting nails to prevent slipping
  • adjective unjustly domineering
  • adjective (of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering

Etymologies

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Examples

  • There were already signs that the African National Congress intended riding "roughshod" over opposition parties.

    ANC Daily News Briefing 1999

  • BCGI and RUSAL have run "roughshod" over Guyanese workers and the union.

    Caribbean Net News Daily Headlines 2010

  • ` I've lived in Port Richmond east of Aramingo for the past 6 years, and we're anything but "roughshod".

    The Clog 2010

  • The Conservative MP accused the Business Department of riding "roughshod" over residents 'worries.

    Mirror.co.uk - News 2009

  • Senator John Thune worried that Democrats would run "roughshod" and argued that Americans wanted checks and balances.

    The Reaction 2009

  • Senator John Thune worried that Democrats would run "roughshod" and argued that Americans wanted checks and balances.

    Vox Verax 2009

  • Senator John Thune worried that Democrats would run "roughshod" and argued that Americans wanted checks and balances.

    Political Animal 2009

  • Senator John Thune worried that Democrats would run "roughshod" and argued that Americans wanted checks and balances.

    Political Animal 2009

  • Senator John Thune worried that Democrats would run "roughshod" and argued that Americans wanted checks and balances.

    Vox Verax 2009

  • When furor erupted at the prospect of two of the most ardent foes of Israel being suggested to basically ride "roughshod" over Israel, Kerry backtracked and blamed his staff for the idea.

    Latest Articles 2008

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