i Register
In some senses, heavy-handed is marked as derogatory. Watch for register when choosing this word.
heavy-handed
adj 4
Collocations
4ADJ.
considered, little, red
VERB + HEAVY-HANDED
bit, described, got
HEAVY-HANDED + NOUN
', salt, suppression
PREP.
with
Definitions
adj
1
Clumsy; awkward.
Some people say, 'I can't make pastry, I'm too heavy-handed.'
2
Excessive; overdone.
Do not be too heavy-handed with the salt.
However, recently I got a little heavy-handed with the red pepper flakes.
3
Lacking subtlety or nuance.
...punk “music has been, and still is, one of the most heavy-handed genres of music there is. Unfortunately the topics of such heavy-handed songs are almost always seeped in left wing propaganda, bumper sticker rallying calls and oversimplifications of otherwise complex topics."
4
Overbearing, coercive; unnecessarily forceful; harsh, oppressive.
“Heavy-handed, huh? Is that by any chance your way of telling me that I'm a bad communicator?" "No, it's my way of telling you that you obviously haven't shaken the take-charge attitude."
I cite how ineffective heavy-handed training methods are due to the physiological state of high arousal and avoidance behaviors they cause in dogs.
Thesaurus
Synonyms
adjective — lacking physical movement skills, especially with the hands
- bumbling
- bungling
- butterfingered
- ham-fisted
- ham-handed
- handless
- left-handed
adjective — unjustly domineering
- roughshod
Antonyms
Idioms & Phrases
Example Bank
601
Some people say, 'I can't make pastry, I'm too heavy-handed.'
Wiktionary02
Do not be too heavy-handed with the salt.
Wiktionary03
However, recently I got a little heavy-handed with the red pepper flakes.
Wiktionary04
The government's response to the protests was considered a bit heavy-handed.
Tatoeba · #912724805
Tear gas, rubber bullets, and live ammunition have been used against protesters, in what he described as "heavy-handed suppression."
Tatoeba · #1125585306
Tom is being heavy-handed.
Tatoeba · #13860686Usage Notes
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