iron hand

American  

[ahy-ern hand] / ˈaɪ ərn ˈhænd /

noun

1. strict, harsh, or autocratic, often ruthless control.

   The general governed the country with an iron hand.

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iron hand British  

noun

1. harsh or rigorous control; overbearing or autocratic force

   he ruled with an iron hand

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iron hand Idioms  

1. Rigorous control, as in He ruled the company with an iron hand. This usage is sometimes put as iron hand in a velvet glove, meaning “firm but seemingly gentle control,” as in She runs the town with an iron hand in a velvet glove. [c. 1700]

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Etymology

Origin of iron hand

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

iron hand

Museveni's critics say he has ruled with an iron hand since he seized power as a rebel leader in 1986.

From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2025

Otherwise, corruption inevitably will reign with an iron hand and a steel boot.

From Slate ● May 19, 2022

The Taliban ruled Afghanistan with an iron hand from 1996 to 2001 before being ousted by U.S.-led forces.

From Reuters ● Oct. 14, 2021

John Bolton met Thursday with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who has ruled the nation of 10 million with an iron hand for a quarter century, showing little tolerance to dissent and independent media.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 29, 2019

Marian remembered her grandmother Isabella as an imposing woman, tall and imperious, who ruled her family with an iron hand.

From "The Voice That Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights" by Russell Freedman