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
Buried under heavy-handed shots of children awaiting Superman's salvation, scientifically opaque explanations of a pocket universe, and an ensemble of characters large enough to populate a Kansas small town, there are flickers of a good, maybe even great, movie.
—
Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 8 July 2025
However, in the second season, the directors began getting heavy-handed with their notes for her.
—Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 4 July 2025
But the sound and lighting effects get rather heavy-handed during Josh’s hallucinatory meltdowns.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2025
Some hotels deal with these behaviors by providing subtle cues instead of a heavy-handed approach.
—Bella Stoddart, CNBC, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for heavy-handed
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Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 8 July 2025
However, in the second season, the directors began getting heavy-handed with their notes for her.
—Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 4 July 2025
But the sound and lighting effects get rather heavy-handed during Josh’s hallucinatory meltdowns.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2025
Some hotels deal with these behaviors by providing subtle cues instead of a heavy-handed approach.
—Bella Stoddart, CNBC, 27 June 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 19 Jul. 2025.
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