(of a horse) having horseshoes with projecting nails to prevent slipping

(of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering; a barbarous crime; brutal beatings; cruel tortures; Stalins roughshod treatment of the kulaks; a savage slap; vicious kicks

[ Syn: barbarous , brutal , cruel , fell , savage , vicious ]

unjustly domineering; incensed at the governments heavy-handed economic policies; a manager who rode roughshod over all opposition

[ Syn: heavy-handed ]