ROUGHED (UP) Synonyms: 136 Similar and Opposite Words

roughed (up)

verb

past tense of rough (up)

as in licked

to strike repeatedly she was badly roughed up by her boxing partner

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in abused

to abuse physically the photographer claimed that he had been roughed up by the actor's bodyguards outside the club

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for roughed (up)

Verb

Tuxedo kitten Paolina bounced onto my chest and licked my fingers.

— Solvej Schou, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026
Her entire face got licked clean off her head when suburban floodwaters breached the cardboard hull protecting Kath’s basement memorabilia stack a few months before I was born.

— Claire Carusillo, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of licked

Verb

The charges come with additional special allegations, around the victim’s vulnerability and that Tapia abused a trustworthy position.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
Early American corporate charters, after all, were granted for limited public purposes and could be revoked when abused.

— Christopher Marquis, Time, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of abused

Verb

Authorities said John had been a special needs student at the school and had attacked a classroom with special needs students.

— HAVEN DALEY, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026
On Friday, settlers attacked the village as residents, accompanied by peace activists, set out early for the harvest.

— Sam Metz, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of attacked

Verb

After learning that Manchester whipped Maggie with a cat-o’-nine-tails, Lizzie agrees to help the Borden family’s maid kill her.

— Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026
That sort of whipped, inswinging ball from Slater that caused so much havoc is hugely familiar to avid Premier League watchers.

— Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of whipped

Verb

Jackson Chourio ambushed Blake Snell’s first pitch of the night for a leadoff blast, and Robert Gasser protected the lead with five shutout frames.

— Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Shot in the Canary Islands, Doom Scroll watches as a family’s Passover Seder is ambushed by intruders hungry for revenge, viral fame and power.

— Matt Grobar, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of ambushed

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.

Browse Nearby Words

roughed it

roughed (up)

roughen

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Roughed (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/roughed%20%28up%29. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of roughed (up)

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

jilt

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes