heavy-handed

Language: en

🇬🇧 /ˈhevi:ˈhændɪd/ 🇺🇸 /ˈhɛviˈhændɪd/

📖 Definitions

  1. adjective
    Using excessive force or authority; oppressive or clumsy in dealing with people or situations.; Lacking subtlety or finesse; clumsy or tactless in execution.; Having large or heavy hands; physically strong but lacking dexterity.

🔗 Details

Word forms

Comparative: more heavy-handed Superlative: most heavy-handed

Collocations

heavy-handed approachheavy-handed tacticsheavy-handed regulationheavy-handed responseheavy-handed government

Derivatives

heavy-handedlyheavy-handedness

Synonyms

clumsytactlessoverbearingoppressivehigh-handedauthoritarianbrutal

Antonyms

tactfulgentledelicatesubtle

Commonly confused

high-handed
EN: 'High-handed' emphasizes arbitrary or dictatorial use of authority, while 'heavy-handed' emphasizes clumsiness, lack of subtlety, or excessive force.

Spelling tips

EN: Always hyphenated as 'heavy-handed'. Do not write it as two separate words ('heavy handed') or as one word ('heavyhanded').

💬 Examples

  1. The government's heavy-handed response to the protests only fueled further unrest.

  2. The director's heavy-handed use of symbolism made the film feel preachy rather than artistic.

  3. He was too heavy-handed to perform the delicate surgery.