high-handed

adjective

high-hand·​ed ˈhī-ˈhan-dəd How to pronounce high-handed (audio)
: having or showing no regard for the rights, concerns, or feelings of others : arbitrary, overbearing
high-handedly adverb
high-handedness noun

Examples of high-handed in a Sentence

the manager displayed a high-handed demeanor that increasingly demoralized the members of his staff that country club tends to be rather high-handed about whom they let in and whom they shut out
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.
The sociopolitical implications of his story—desperate poverty, harassment by the police, along with exploitation by the boxing business and its high-handed authorities—are balanced by his earnest self-analyses and the detailing of his home life. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2024 Georgian society, however, has shown increasing signs of fatigue with the former government’s high-handed policies. Thomas De Waal, Foreign Affairs, 5 Dec. 2012 Edward took a story that on paper could be very procedural and high-handed and made something that has this propulsive, edge-of-your-seat, wildly cinematic energy. Brent Lang, Variety, 7 May 2024 This crude and insulting decision is starkly reminiscent of the high-handed Hollywood of the studio era. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024 Even if Beijing were to resume regular REE sales, alternative sources would remove Beijing’s temptation to high-handed policies. Milton Ezrati, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2023 With his penchant for high-handed letter writing, Gittins escalated things to the inevitable level. Max Olesker, Longreads, 13 July 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1606, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of high-handed was in 1606

Dictionary Entries Near high-handed

Cite this Entry

“High-handed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/high-handed. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

high-handed

adjective
high-hand·​ed
-ˈhan-dəd
: having or showing no regard for the rights, concerns, or feelings of others
high-handedly adverb
high-handedness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on high-handed

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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