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.
An exhibition at the American Folk Art Museum distracts from its charming objects with a a heavy-handed curatorial message.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 4, 2026
The staging could do without the underscoring that becomes heavy-handed in the play’s later stages.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026
But the heavy-handed use of “our,” “we” and “all” sends the message that, if you don’t agree with Rollins, you don’t fully count as a person, much less as a valued employee at USDA.
From Salon • May 25, 2026
It notably restricts ICE at 26 Federal Plaza, where masked agents have routinely detained people attending immigration hearings, sometimes using heavy-handed tactics.
From Barron's • May 19, 2026
“Y’all be gettin mad heavy-handed on the mayo. And put sweet peppers on there for me, my dude.”
From "The Boy in the Black Suit" by Jason Reynolds
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.
