heavy-handed
adjective
heavy-hand·ed
ˈhe-vē-ˈhan-dəd 
1
: clumsy
2
: oppressive, harsh
heavy-handedly
adverb
heavy-handedness
noun
Examples of heavy-handed in a Sentence
the new manager's heavy-handed approach soon had employees turning in their letters of resignation
felt heavy-handed and awkward when holding the newborn infant
Recent Examples on the Web
The global institutions that traditionally restrain both secessionist overreach and heavy-handed repression are losing their power to constrain either.
—
Ryan D. Griffiths, Foreign Affairs, 20 May 2025
Anno 1800 may have been too heavy-handed here, but Anno 117 seems to overreact by going too far the other way.
—ArsTechnica, 19 May 2025
The threadbare plot is set in motion when Tesfaye’s screen-self (henceforth referred to as Abel) loses his voice while touring, a real-life incident forced here into heavy-handed metaphor as an existential ailment symptomatic of his deeper issues with himself and women.
—Charles Bramesco, IndieWire, 15 May 2025
The Indian government has cracked down in areas where Maoist groups are active – an approach that, while appearing to reduce the threat level, has been criticized by some observers as heavy-handed and prone to abuse.
—Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for heavy-handed
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Ryan D. Griffiths, Foreign Affairs, 20 May 2025
Anno 1800 may have been too heavy-handed here, but Anno 117 seems to overreact by going too far the other way.
—ArsTechnica, 19 May 2025
The threadbare plot is set in motion when Tesfaye’s screen-self (henceforth referred to as Abel) loses his voice while touring, a real-life incident forced here into heavy-handed metaphor as an existential ailment symptomatic of his deeper issues with himself and women.
—Charles Bramesco, IndieWire, 15 May 2025
The Indian government has cracked down in areas where Maoist groups are active – an approach that, while appearing to reduce the threat level, has been criticized by some observers as heavy-handed and prone to abuse.
—Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for heavy-handed
Cite this Entry
“Heavy-handed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heavy-handed. Accessed 27 May. 2025.
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