high-handed
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of high-handed
First recorded in 1625–35
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Restaurant associations allege the official has been bypassing a statutory process, while courts have termed some of his actions "high-handed".
From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026
In a statement the posted on social media by the Foreign Minister Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa, Ghana called Canada's decision "high-handed and extremely unfair", calling Partey, "a key member of Ghana's senior national team".
From Barron's ● Jun. 13, 2026
Triggering the administration’s nuclear response on Friday was Anthropic’s high-handed refusal to give the Defense Department carte blanche to use its technology as it sees fit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 1, 2026
One official who was involved and spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid facing retribution said they were disgusted by the request’s “brazenness and the high-handed expectation of complicity.”
From Salon ● Nov. 19, 2025
No matter how high-handed he sounds giving advice or how much he bothers me, I would be a fool not to listen.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
