hardhanded

adjective

ˈhärd-ˈhan-dəd How to pronounce hardhanded (audio)
Definition of hardhandednext
as in tough
difficult to endure the hardhanded rule of a tyrannical regime

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hardhanded
  1. tough
  2. harsh
  3. hard
  4. rough
  5. oppressive
  6. trying
  7. brutal
  8. severe
Adjective
  • Celebrity hairstylist Brian Magallones considers this the perfect balance between a not-too-fussy and not-too-structured chignon, a style that sounds tough to style without a professional team but is actually quite easy to master at-home.
    — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Coming off that dominant performance against the Yankees, Rasmussen went six-plus tough innings.
    — Rob Maaddi, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of tough
Adjective
  • And now those still left in the battered city along Ukraine's southeastern front face death from hunger or disease as another harsh winter looms, with no agreement in sight for even a humanitarian evacuation.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Despite low winds and little rain, harsh surf continues to wreak havoc along Southern California's coastal communities.
    — Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC news, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of harsh
Adjective
  • Rejecing the marketing formula Brand building has gotten harder as marketing chiefs face growing pressure to prove their value.
    — Sam Birchall, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Trump just didn’t understand—and didn’t care—that any chief’s most important duty is to tell the president hard truths.
    — Chris Whipple, Vanity Fair, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of hard
Adjective
  • The Dallas Cowboys are bringing former NFL coach Mike Pettine out of retirement to serve as a senior assistant to defensive coordinator Christian Parker, whose debut in his new position is off to a rough start.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The Tampa Bay Rays are staring down a rough start to the American League Championship Series.
    — OutKick, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of rough
Adjective
  • Resident's death under investigation The Middlesex County District Attorney's office, as well as the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, are examining whether the oppressive heat played any role in the resident's death.
    — Kristina Rex, CBS News, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The combination was as oppressive as the thermometer reading.
    — Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of oppressive
Adjective
  • Either way, a spot in the round of 32 would be a just reward for a team that is unbeaten two games into what has been an extremely trying tournament off the field.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 June 2026
  • More than half of the search-and-rescue workers who show up for the most trying missions are BUSARs.
    — Paige Williams, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026
Definition of trying
Adjective
  • Especially for a team that's played a brutal schedule through the first six weeks.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The Broncos get a long weekend off after their brutal six-week opening stretch.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of brutal
Adjective
  • Trump's continuing criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and praise of Putin only give Putin further confidence the United States is not serious about imposing more severe sanctions.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026
  • That role demands reliable equipment capable of transmitting strategic instructions during severe national security crises.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of severe
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

hard goods
hardhanded
hardhandedness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hardhanded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hardhanded. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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