to be heavy-handed
1heavy-handed — adj. 1. same as {ham fisted}. Syn: bumbling, bungling, butterfingered, ham fisted, ham handed, handless, left handed. [WordNet 1.5] 2. unjustly harsh or domineering; as, incensed at the government s heavy handed economic policies. Syn: harsh,… …
2heavy-handed — heavy handedly, adv. heavy handedness, n. /hev ee han did/, adj. 1. oppressive; harsh: a heavy handed master. 2. clumsy; graceless: a heavy handed treatment of the theme. [1625 35] * * * …
3heavy-handed — adj taking too much action or extreme action, especially without thinking about other people s feelings ▪ a heavy handed style of management >heavy handedness n [U] …
4heavy-handed — If someone is heavy handed, they are insensitive and use excessive force or authority when dealing with a problem …
5heavy-handed — also heavyhanded, 1630s, originally “weary” or “clumsy;” from HEAVY (Cf. heavy) + HAND (Cf. hand). Sense of overbearing is first recorded 1883 …
6heavy-handed — [hev′ēhan΄did] adj. 1. without a light touch; clumsy or tactless 2. cruel, oppressive, or tyrannical heavy handedly adv. heavy handedness n …
7heavy-handed — index uncouth Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …
8heavy-handed — ► ADJECTIVE ▪ clumsy, insensitive, or overly forceful …
9heavy-handed — 1) ADJ GRADED (disapproval) If you say that someone s behaviour is heavy handed, you mean that they are too forceful or too rough. ...heavy handed police tactics... The demonstration had been dealt with in a violent and heavy handed way... You… …
10heavy-handed — {adj.} 1. Not skillful or graceful; clumsy. * /George is heavy handed and seldom catches the ball./ * /My sister plays the piano badly; she is too heavy handed./ * /Tim told a heavy handed joke about the principal s baldness that embarrassed… …
