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ironhanded

[ ahy-ern-han-did ]
/ ˈaɪ ərnˈhæn dɪd /
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adjective
having or governing with an iron hand; strict, harsh, or autocratic: The new boss turned out to be an arrogant, ironhanded tyrant.
adverb
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.
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Also i·ron-fist·ed, i·ron·fist·ed [ahy-ern-fis-tid] /ˈaɪ ərnˈfɪs tɪd/ .

Origin of ironhanded

First recorded in 1760–70; iron + handed

OTHER WORDS FROM ironhanded

i·ron·hand·ed·ly, adverbi·ron·hand·ed·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
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