handy
1 Americanadjective
-
within easy reach; conveniently available; accessible.
The aspirins are handy.
-
convenient or useful.
A digital thermometer is a handy thing to have at home.
-
skillful with the hands; deft; dexterous.
a handy person.
- Synonyms:
- versatile, all-around
-
easily maneuvered.
a handy ship.
- Synonyms:
- yare, wieldy, manageable
noun
adjective
-
conveniently or easily within reach
-
easy to manoeuvre, handle, or use
a handy tool
-
skilful with one's hands
noun
Related Words
See dexterous.
Other Word Forms
- handiness noun
Etymology
Origin of handy
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English (in surnames); hand, -y 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Such status could come in handy if consumers tighten their budgets on the back of broader inflation and higher interest rates.
From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026
She said the organisation had also come in handy for providing pants, trainers and shoes, as well as helping her to get the specific fleeces her special needs daughter required.
From BBC • Mar. 21, 2026
Cards that offer outsize rewards or cash back on travel-related purchases can come in handy if prices go up.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 14, 2026
A fair share of nasty feedback lands in my mailbox, so I wondered if the auto-response tool could come in handy.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 14, 2026
I figured when Ma Charles didn’t have a name handy, she called any woman or girl younger than herself “daughter.”
From "Gone Crazy in Alabama" by Rita Williams-Garcia
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
