hard-handed

or hard·hand·ed

[ hahrd-han-did ]

adjective

1. oppressive or tyrannical; stern or cruel.
2. having hands hardened by toil.

Other Words From

• hard-handed·ness hardhanded·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of hard-handed¹

First recorded in 1580–90

Example Sentences

He has promised to roll back bail reforms, restore police-agency immunity from civil rights lawsuits and appoint hard-handed judges.

From Seattle Times

In her letter to Bennett informing him she was quitting, Zoabi, a legislator from the Meretz party, referenced an escalation in violence at a Jerusalem holy site as well as hard-handed tactics by Israeli police at the funeral last week of a Palestinian journalist.

From Reuters

And upon coming to the north, I expected to meet with a rough, hard-handed, and uncultivated population, living in the most Spartan-like simplicity, knowing nothing of the ease, luxury, pomp, and grandeur of southern slaveholders.

From Literature

But defense attorney Shawn Merzlak argued the three were following their training, getting McGraw to agree that deputies were trained that a stun gun “is a device that should be used before hard-handed techniques because it is the device that is most likely to get compliance without serious injury to the suspect or the officer.”

From Seattle Times

The union had issued a statement in June saying it did not support a vaccine mandate without a testing option, asserting that such a “hard-handed” approach would further frustrate health-care workers.

From Washington Post