gou1 aat3高壓高压
Jyutpinggou1 aat3
Yalegōu aat
Definition
High-handed; oppressive, especially when describing policies or governance that rely on the heavy-handed use of power.
colloquialworkdescriptions
How it's used
Focuses on the exertion of authority to suppress dissent or force compliance, often implying a lack of flexibility or empathy. While it can describe political policies, it is equally common in workplace contexts to describe a boss or corporate culture that relies on intimidation rather than collaboration.
Examples
They used high-handed tactics to deal with the protesters.
This company's management is very high-handed, the staff are under a lot of pressure.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the literal physical meaning of high pressure, such as in physics or meteorology, where it is also used. Context is key to distinguishing between a high-handed person and a high-pressure system.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
