English Explanatory Dictionary

heavy-handed

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Clumsy; awkward.
  2. Excessive; overdone.
  3. Lacking subtlety or nuance.
  4. Overbearing, coercive; unnecessarily forceful; harsh, oppressive.

Pronunciation

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-heavy-handed.wav

Word forms

heavy-handed more heavy-handed most heavy-handed heavyhanded

Etymology

From heavy + hand + -ed, literally “having a heavy hand”. Compare Middle English hevitime, heviteme (“burdensome, grievous, grave”), from Old English hefiġtīme, hefiġtȳme (“grievous, wearisome, tedious, troublesome”).

Synonyms

cack-handed ham-handed ham-fisted maladroit OTT over the top unsubtle on the nose bossy hard-handed iron-handed iron-fisted brutal cruel draconian overstrict authoritarian autocratic coercive commanding controlling demanding despotic dictatorial dominant domineering forceful harsh heavy-handed monocratic obtrusive oppressive overbearing strict tyrannical

Related words

hard-handed iron-handed

Derived words

heavy-handedly heavy-handedness
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