handily
Americanadverb
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skillfully; dexterously; expertly.
to manage a boat handily.
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conveniently.
The books were handily at his side.
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easily.
We won handily.
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Midland U.S. rightly; readily.
You can't handily blame him.
adverb
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in a handy way or manner
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conveniently or suitably
handily nearby
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easily
the horse won handily
Etymology
Origin of handily
Explanation
Doing something handily means it's easy or convenient. If the post office is handily located near your house, you can handily mail all your holiday cards on your way to school. This adverb can be used for things that are close at hand, making them easily available, or for anything done gracefully or dexterously: "She handily shuffled the cards and dealt." However, you'll most often find handily filling in for "easily," in sentences like "They handily won the game," or "He handily beat his opponents in the election." The earliest meaning of handily, dating from the 14th century, was "done by hand."
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.
Shares have handily outperformed the broader market this year, rising nearly 16%.
From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026
The egg producer’s fiscal third-quarter earnings topped analysts’ estimates, as did revenue of $667 million, which handily beat calls for $642.5 million.
From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026
That handily topped the 0.9% growth rate recorded in December, and was roughly in line with the 3.0% increase projected in a Wall Street Journal poll.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 2026
“It’s a little bit complicated when they put an image in your head and now you’re stuck with it,” he sings in “Paint by Numbers,” which pretty handily demonstrates how lightweight the introspection is here.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 9, 2026
IN mandarin, change is handily expressed: a quick le at the end of the sentence will do it, as in tamen gaoxing le — now they are happy.
From "Typical American" by Gish Jen
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.
