Definition of "heavy-handed" []

• Clumsy; awkward. (adjective)
• Tactless; indiscreet. (adjective)
• Oppressive; harsh. (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Under that threat, the two sides quickly reached a settlement, though the union was furious with what it called heavy-handed government action."
• "Gym users given runaround on fees, with refusal to give pricing plans over the phone GYMS are forcing prospective members to book appointments before revealing prices in what has been called a heavy-handed attempt to lock in contracts."
• "Those regulations - which the province credits for cutting booze-related motor fatalities nearly in half since they came into effect - have been called heavy-handed and potentially unconstitutional."