heavy-handed
Americanadjective
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oppressive; harsh.
a heavy-handed master.
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clumsy; graceless.
a heavy-handed treatment of the theme.
adjective
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clumsy
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harsh and oppressive
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of heavy-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.
We are put in charge of making our own way, through tapestries and tea sets, past ancient jug and contemporary sphinx, without heavy-handed authoritative direction.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026
While most tech companies have pledged to abide by Australian laws, they have warned that the heavy-handed move could simply push teens to darker, less-regulated corners of the internet.
From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026
And Venezuelans are still grappling with the legacy of the crime wave—as well as the state’s heavy-handed response.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026
And for all its heavy-handed writing and mystifying character flourishes, “Tow” manages to be mostly an effective, if silly, story of perseverance, thanks almost entirely to Byrne’s dogged performance.
From Salon • Mar. 22, 2026
Sometimes, like today, she gets a little heavy-handed with it.
From "The Skin I'm In" by Sharon G. Flake
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.
