to ride roughshod
1
8.8
- idiom
- /raɪd ˈrʌfˌʃɑd/
:
pisotear
- When negotiating, he often rides roughshod over others, making it difficult for anyone to voice their concerns.
Examples
-
I like the idea of government holding businesses and corporations accountable and preventing them from harming our environment and riding roughshod over citizens.
Blog text (12) -
Why don't you grow up and stop riding roughshod over these girls?
-
In his day, it was the wealthy minority that rode roughshod over the majority.
Academic text (2002) -
"Look," said Verna, "if you're going to ride over us roughshod, don't expect any help."
Fiction book (1995) -
The traditional solution to this problem would be more economic growth—growth that would tend to ride roughshod over the environment.
Academic text (1999) -
Believe me, if my servant's life and my own honor weren't at stake, I would gladly take your word sooner than ride roughshod over your feelings.
Fiction book (1993) -
Lady Tarleton's the worst—she thinks she can ride roughshod over everything and everybody, just because she's a Fontclair.
Fiction book (1993) -
Its conservative critics see in PC the threat of a left-wing dictatorship, an army of liberal enforcers controlling the way we speak and think, riding roughshod over the First Amendment.
Academic text (1993) -
Sometimes, theologians, too, in their praiseworthy zeal for peace and justice, tend to ride roughshod over legitimate patriotic sensitivities and concerns, once again underestimating the power of the myth of origin.
Academic text (1991) -
The new manager rode roughshod over the team's suggestions, implementing changes without considering their opinions.
Synonyms
344
3.7
To treat a person or animal cruelly to harm them
70
6.0
Treat someone cruelly or unfairly so they suffer
63
2.9
To be cruel to people or animals
10
7.5
Treat someone badly and unfairly again and again
7
5.8
Criticize someone in a very unkind way
6
8.4
To act without care for other people or their rights
3
7.2
Treat someone badly by using them and ignoring their feelings
1
8.5
Treat other people's feelings, rights, or opinions as not important and ignore them rudely
Behave towards a person or animal in a cruel, unfair way
How Harsh
152
6.5
82
4.4
1
8.8
119
3.9
13
4.5
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly derivable from the constituents: 'ride' (act over/forcefully impose) combined with 'roughshod' (ruthless, without regard) yields the idea of treating someone harshly or trampling their rights. This verb + manner-adjective composition follows a predictable pattern, so a B1 learner who knows both words should be able to infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
Ride roughshod comes from the image of a rider (to ride) whose horse wore heavy, rough shoes that could cut and crush plants, fences, or anything under its hooves. So ride roughshod over people came to mean 'to treat them harshly or ignore their rights'.