iron hand
3
6.4
- noun
- /ˈaɪərn hænd/
:
mano de hierro
- They complained that Elmer had been trying to rule with an iron hand and refused to listen to the wishes of the congregation.
- rule with an iron hand
Examples
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During the crisis, the government ruled with an iron hand to maintain order and control among the citizens.
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The new principal enforced school rules with an iron hand, ensuring that students followed every regulation.
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Ruled with an iron hand."
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I edit with an iron hand: in my version, they all sound like Joe Friday.
Fiction book (1991) -
May I present to you an administrator who has promised to carry out her duties with an iron hand.
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My grandmother, for example, ruled her family with an iron hand.
Fiction book (1999) -
But you've got to show an iron hand from the start.
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Politically, all four countries are led by strong, autocratic ex-communists who rule with an iron hand.
Academic text (1998) -
Under Florence's iron hand, notices get sent, caseloads distributed, interpreters assigned.
Fiction book (1991) -
Brodick rules with passion, Iain with wisdom, and you, Laird Ramsey, rule with an iron hand of justice.
Fiction book (1999)
Synonyms
11
6.3
Very strict control by a leader or government
A very strict way of managing people and enforcing rules
A strict way of leading that shows little patience
A way of managing where a boss is very strict and allows no questions
How Harsh
Surface Forms
Morphology
iron + hand
The phrase combines 'iron' (strong, rigid) with 'hand' used metonymically for control, so a learner who knows both words can plausibly infer a sense of harsh or firm control. Because the meaning depends on a figurative mapping (hand → control) rather than a strictly compositional literal reading, it is partly predictable but not fully literal or automatic for all learners.
Etymology
Iron hand may come from the image of a ruler wearing a heavy iron glove on their hand, so their touch is hard and not soft. That's why it now means 'strict control' or ruling in a harsh way.