heavy-handed
1
6.3
- adjective
- /ˈhɛviˈhændɪd/
:
torpe
- The carpenter's heavy-handed methods caused several dents in the wood he was trying to shape.
Examples
-
In some ways, it's quite a heavy-handed process because of the number of people who come to speak to her.
Academic text (2011) -
I wonder if you would have done anything if the letter wasn't so heavy-handed and stupidly formulated.
Blog text (29) -
It's still drying, I've gone a bit heavy-handed so it's kind of dripping a bit but there you go, that's it there.
-
Both of these represent attempts to manage the practice of medicine in the United States from the top down, in a manner that might cut costs but in a spectacularly heavy-handed way, by denying people life-extending treatments.
Academic text (2011) -
He used a heavy-handed technique when painting the mural, resulting in a messy finish.
-
Her heavy-handed approach to cooking led to a dish that was overly seasoned and unbalanced.
Synonyms
12
2.2
Difficult to hold or carry because of large, awkward shape
7
7.3
Acting awkward and clumsy in movement or when handling things
6
4.8
Not able to move with control so movements look clumsy
5
8.6
Clumsy and not good with their hands
3
6.5
Clumsy with your hands when you try to do things
3
8.3
Not careful and clumsy when using hands or doing tasks
1
6.8
Clumsy and not skilled, often making mistakes
1
9.9
Seems clumsy and awkward in movement, often like someone new at sea
Clumsy with hands when doing simple tasks
Someone who often drops things with their hands
Antonyms
How Skillful
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Heavy-handed comes from joining heavy ('weighty') and handed ('with the hand'), so imagine someone with a 'heavy hand' who moves awkwardly and drops things. This picture helps: a heavy hand is clumsy or not delicate. So heavy-handed can mean clumsy or lacking skill with the hands.