English Explanatory Dictionary

handy

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Easy to use, useful.
  2. Nearby, within reach.
  3. Dexterous, skilful. (of a person)
  4. Physically violent; tending to use one's fists.
  5. Of a freight ship: having a small cargo capacity (less than 40,000 DWT); belonging to the handysize class.
noun
  1. The hand.
noun
  1. A handgun.
  2. A hand job.
noun
  1. Synonym of mobile phone.
name
  1. A surname transferred from the nickname.
  2. A male given name from English.

Pronunciation

hăn'di /ˈhæn.di/ En-us-handy.ogg

Word forms

handy handier handiest hendy handies

Etymology

From Middle English handy, hondi (attested in personal names), alteration of earlier hendi (“handy, skillful”), from Old English *hendiġ (“skillful”) (attested in listhendiġ (“skilled in art”)), from Proto-West Germanic *handīg, *handag, *handug, from Proto-Germanic *handugaz (“handy, skillful, nimble”), from *handuz (“hand”), equivalent to hand + -y. Cognate with Saterland Frisian jäntich (“handy”), Middle Low German handich (“skillful, apt”), Middle High German handec, hendec (“manual, hand-held”), Old Norse hǫndugr (“efficient”), Gothic 𐌷𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌿𐌲𐍃 (handugs, “wise, clever”). Akin to Dutch handig (“handy”), Norwegian hendig (“handy”), Swedish händig (“handy”).

Synonyms

at hand on hand to hand crafty wristy mobile phone

Antonyms

awkward

Related words

handie handsies

Derived words

come in handy handicam handily handiman handiness handiwoman handwriting on the wall handyish handyman handyperson handywoman unhandy
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