heavy-handed

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

According to French media, he told his "entourage" recently that "I may have been heavy-handed… but I always took no for an answer".

From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026

This short, acrid, somewhat heavy-handed work depicts Valentin’s crash course in political cynicism.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 3, 2026

The staging could do without the underscoring that becomes heavy-handed in the play’s later stages.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026

But the heavy-handed use of “our,” “we” and “all” sends the message that, if you don’t agree with Rollins, you don’t fully count as a person, much less as a valued employee at USDA.

From Salon • May 25, 2026

There was no way I could get heavy-handed and demand that an English person send me money, even if he owed it to me personally.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris