1
as in clumsiness
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
2
as in oppressiveness
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heavy-handedness
Noun
-
Carse has promise, as does Josh Tongue, but their inexperience brings inconsistency.—
The Athletic UK Staff,
New York Times,
8 July 2025 -
Mamdani's opponents will likely continue to attack him for his views on Israel, which have drawn criticism from some Jewish groups, and his relative inexperience as third-term lawmaker with a very modest record of legislative accomplishment.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
26 June 2025
Noun
-
The filmmakers know exactly how to leverage Hawkins’s warm, naturalistic screen presence, using her offbeat sweetness to keep the audience guessing as to her character’s exact level of malevolence.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
30 May 2025
-
In the room with us in Valencia, the dolls eyes’ are hypnotic, carrying a trace of malevolence.—
Joshua Rothkopf,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Heavy-handedness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heavy-handedness. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share