rough-and-tumble

1 of 2

noun

rough-and-tum·ble ˌrə-fən-ˈtəm-bəl

Synonyms of rough-and-tumble next

: rough disorderly unrestrained fighting or struggling

also : infighting

rough-and-tumble

2 of 2

adjective

: marked by rough-and-tumble

grew up in a rough-and-tumble atmosphere—

E. J. Kahn

also : rough-and-ready

: put together haphazardly : makeshift

a rough-and-tumble fence

Examples of rough-and-tumble in a Sentence

Noun a rough-and-tumble broke out among the fans in the stands Adjective the announcement of his candidacy was made from a rough-and-tumble stage put together just that morning

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Noun

The other players on the leaderboard were born in the 1800s, back when baseball was rough-and-tumble and somehow every player came with a gloriously fanciful Dickensian backstory. —

Daniel Brown, The Athletic, 29 Aug. 2024 That’s the really rough-and-tumble side of insomnia. —

Lance Eliot, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2024

Adjective

The trappings of the Senate were another world from Mr. Abourezk’s rough-and-tumble childhood on the Rosebud Indian Reservation, where his Lebanese parents had immigrated and ran a general store. —

Stephen Groves, BostonGlobe.com, 25 Feb. 2023 The startup’s rough-and-tumble experiments are even more telling. —

Justine Calma, The Verge, 24 Feb. 2023 See all Example Sentences for rough-and-tumble

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1810, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1818, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of rough-and-tumble was in 1810

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Rough-and-tumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rough-and-tumble. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation