heavy-handed.

1. Using more force, authority, or interference than a situation needs.

2. Lacking delicacy or subtlety in handling, writing, or doing something.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• heavy-handed policing
• a heavy-handed response

On the page

Heavy-handed censorship made the rumors more persuasive, not less.

Usage notes

Primary category: literary / elevated general. Forms: Comparative more heavy-handed; superlative most heavy-handed when comparison is meaningful. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: description, character. Commonness: moderately common.