tough, dangerous, heavy stuff
Aquela gangue era barra pesada, ninguém se metia com eles.
That gang was dangerous, no one got involved with them.
Barra pesada ("heavy bar") labels a rough, dangerous person or a tough, threatening situation. The image rests on barra in the sense of weight or load to bear: a "heavy bar" is something hard to carry, and by extension anything menacing or hard to handle.
Source: Dicionário de Expressões.
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