hard-handed

or hard·hand·ed

[ hahrd-han-did ]
See synonyms for hard-handed on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. oppressive or tyrannical; stern or cruel.

  2. having hands hardened by toil.

Origin of hard-handed

1
First recorded in 1580–90

Other words from hard-handed

  • hard-hand·ed·ness, hard·hand·ed·ness, noun

Words Nearby hard-handed

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use hard-handed in a sentence

  • A couple of hard-handed caissoniers, settling down to some serious drinking.

    The Sensitive Man | Poul William Anderson
  • These hard-handed men are developing this region, earning a livelihood for themselves and enriching those who employ them.

    The Seat of Empire | Charles Carleton Coffin
  • One of my neighbors, a thorough American, is much concerned about the growth of what he calls the "hard-handed aristocracy."

    Over the Teacups | Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
  • I AM not an old and experienced farmer, nor a tiller of the soil, nor one of the hard-handed sons of labor.

    The Ghosts | Robert G. Ingersoll
  • The largest soul of all the British lands came among us in the shape of a hard-handed Scottish Peasant.