heavy-handed

adjective

heavy-hand·​ed ˈhe-vē-ˈhan-dəd How to pronounce heavy-handed (audio)
heavy-handedly adverb
heavy-handedness noun

Examples of heavy-handed in a Sentence

the new manager's heavy-handed approach soon had employees turning in their letters of resignation felt heavy-handed and awkward when holding the newborn infant
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.
This is the comforter for the heavy-handed environmentalist. Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 9 May 2025 Technology The Big Story Lawmakers push tech leaders on AI, energy Leaders from Silicon Valley were met Thursday with a new tone from Congress, where Republican lawmakers sang their tune of tech innovation over heavy-handed regulations. Julia Shapero, The Hill, 8 May 2025 Neither of those latter findings should come as any real surprise given the heavy-handed regulatory environments in those two states. David Blackmon, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025 Google's contracts with OEMs and its management of the Play Store have both come under legal scrutiny, so the company won't be able to use any heavy-handed tactics to encourage the adoption of Material 3 Expressive. Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 5 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for heavy-handed

Word History

First Known Use

1647, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of heavy-handed was in 1647

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Heavy-handed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heavy-handed. Accessed 15 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

heavy-handed

adjective
heavy-hand·​ed
ˌhev-ē-ˈhan-dəd
1
2
: severe or harsh in dealing with others

More from Merriam-Webster on heavy-handed

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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