Synonyms for roughshod

Most common

cruel · brutal · savage · vicious · heavy-handed

All synonyms

Adjective

Definitions

1. adj. 1

   Of a horse: having hooves shod with horseshoes that have calks or projecting parts to prevent slipping.

Related words

Phrases

ride roughshod over run roughshod over

Example sentences

• cruel I think it is cruel to trap animals for fur coats.
• brutal The city was ruined by the brutal force of nature.
• savage There are still some savage tribes on that island.
• vicious Tom thinks swans are even more vicious than geese.

Popularity over time

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

4 letters

fell¹

5 letters

cruel²

6 letters

brutal², savage²

7 letters

vicious², inhuman³

9 letters

barbarous³

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (cruel² = 2 syllables).