ham-handed

[ham-han-did] /ˈhæmˈhæn dɪd/
adjective
1.
clumsy, inept, or heavy-handed:
a ham-handed approach to dealing with people that hurts a lot of feelings.
Also, especially British, ham-fisted
[ham-fis-tid] /ˈhæmˈfɪs tɪd/ (Show IPA).
Origin
1915-20
Related forms
hamhandedness; especially British, hamfistedness, noun
Examples from the web for ham-handed
  • But it contains a balance of risks and rewards that could easily be upset if carried out in a ham-handed manner.
  • It was largely a result of the ham-handed way of trying to occupy territories they feel.
  • To me, this was an obvious and ham-handed attempt to make this event far more dramatic than it really was.
  • For its first year in operation, the new arm will be somewhat ham-handed.
  • Nobody is certain if the ham-handed investigation was the product of rash incompetence or a deliberate attempt to hide the truth.
  • The ham-handed federal case has probably increased the likelihood that he will take the stand.
  • Officials' nervousness was evident from a ham-handed attempt to keep the incident out of the news.
  • He's a bit bumbling and bit naive and a bit ham-handed.
  • Well, maybe, but they must have been thinking of someone decidedly ham-handed.
British Dictionary definitions for ham-handed

ham-fisted

adjective
1.
(informal) lacking dexterity or elegance; clumsy
Slang definitions & phrases for ham-handed

ham-handed

adjective

Crude and clumsy; lacking in finesse: his hamfisted approach to a delicate matter ( first form 1918+, second 1928+)