ironhanded

Also i·ron-fist·ed, i·ron·fist·ed

[ahy-ern-han-did]

adjective

1. having or governing with an iron hand; strict, harsh, or autocratic.

   The new boss turned out to be an arrogant, ironhanded tyrant.

adverb

1. with an iron hand.

   What makes a politician great is not the ability to rule ironhanded, but an understanding of people and the changing times.

Other Word Forms

• ironhandedly adverb
• ironhandedness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of ironhanded¹

First recorded in 1760–70; iron + handed

Example Sentences

France’s foreign minister this week defended the strikes against Chadian rebels before a handful of puzzled members of Parliament who wondered why the country was again propping up an ironhanded African dictator — albeit one whose relatively efficient military is considered vital in the fight against terrorists.

Read more on New York Times

His mother was judged, according to the standards of the time, to be ironhanded and manipulative; she viewed her husband, a meek man whose soul, Lowell wrote, “went underground” in his forties, as feckless, dandyish, and abstract—a judgment Lowell shared, though he tempered it with pity.

Read more on The New Yorker

The mayor’s remarks this week, accusing Mr. Cuomo of governing through vengeance and fear, are likely to further embolden Democrats who have long chafed at what they characterized as Mr. Cuomo’s ironhanded methods and imperious personality.

Read more on New York Times

He embodies a certain brand of New Jersey politics, winning renown among Democrats for his skill at forging electoral coalitions, and for the ironhanded methods he has used to advance his allies and maintain order in a politically fractious state.

Read more on New York Times

In his own country, Mr. Grondona was often criticized for his ironhanded manner but was also hailed for his accomplishments, including his help in the national team’s run to its second World Cup title, in 1986, when it was led by the superstar Diego Maradona, and overseeing the construction of a world-class soccer training complex near Buenos Aires.

Read more on New York Times

Related Words

• accurate 
• brutal 
• burdensome 
• correct 
• exacting 
• harsh 
• meticulous 
• onerous 
• precise 
• proper 
• rigid 
• scrupulous 
• strict 
• stringent 
• uncompromising