high-handed

[ hahy-han-did ]

/ ˈhaɪˈhæn dɪd /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: high-handed / high-handedness on Thesaurus.com

adjective

condescending or presumptuous; overbearing; arbitrary: He has a highhanded manner.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of high-handed

First recorded in 1625–35

OTHER WORDS FROM high-handed

high-hand·ed·ly, adverbhigh-hand·ed·ness, noun

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

How to use high-handed in a sentence

Deadspin ripped it for stuffiness, high-handedness, and general cluelessness.
New York Times Attack on Olympic Athlete Lolo Jones Unfounded and Unfair|David Roth|August 7, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Marian is delightful, with her waywardness and high-handedness; and Mrs. Owen likes originals, not feeble imitations.
A Hoosier Chronicle|Meredith Nicholson
The Vicomte laughed in his kindly way at what he was pleased to term my high-handedness.
Dross|Henry Seton Merriman
But when I think of the cruelties and high-handedness of others here, the Adelantado and the Viceroy shine mildly.
1492|Mary Johnston

Penalties of this high-handedness were not sanctioned by law.
Historia Amoris: A History of Love, Ancient and Modern|Edgar Saltus
For all his striding autocracy and high-handedness there was something naïve and childish about him that clutched at her heart.
Captivity|M. Leonora Eyles

British Dictionary definitions for high-handed

high-handed

adjective

tactlessly overbearing and inconsiderate

Derived forms of high-handed

high-handedly, adverbhigh-handedness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

high-handed

Origin of high-handed

OTHER WORDS FROM high-handed

Words related to high-handed

How to use high-handed in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for high-handed

Derived forms of high-handed