heavy-handed

adjective

heavy-hand·​ed ˈhe-vē-ˈhan-dəd 

1

: clumsy

2

: oppressive, harsh

heavy-handedly adverb

heavy-handedness noun

Synonyms

• austere
• authoritarian
• flinty
• hard
• harsh
• ramrod
• rigid
• rigorous
• severe
• stern
• strict
• tough

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

Musk’s influence could thus lead to a more heavy-handed regulatory environment for AI in the U.S. There is one problem with all these speculations, though. —Rob Toews, Forbes, 22 Dec. 2024

But heavy-handed motif-wielding has its limits, and The Brutalist is no Citizen Kane. —Justin Davidson, Curbed, 18 Dec. 2024

But what starts as a winking nod at the challenges of parenting ends up a heavy-handed fable about the primacy of human values, with an emphasis on the idea that a gendered role is essential to becoming human. —Elvia Wilk, The Atlantic, 18 Dec. 2024

Outside of heavy-handed flavor profiles, Odam found incoherence in the serving staff and the physical space. —Ana Gutierrez, Austin American-Statesman, 13 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1647, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

heavy-handed

adjective

heavy-hand·​ed

ˌhev-ē-ˈhan-dəd

1

: clumsy sense 1

2

: severe or harsh in dealing with others