bandy
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to pass from one to another or back and forth; give and take; trade; exchange.
to bandy blows; to bandy words.
- Synonyms:
- barter, swap, interchange, reciprocate
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to throw or strike to and fro or from side to side, as a ball in tennis.
-
to circulate freely.
to bandy gossip.
adjective
noun
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an early form of tennis.
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Chiefly British. (formerly) hockey or shinny.
-
Obsolete. a hockey or shinny stick.
adjective
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Also: bandy-legged. having legs curved outwards at the knees
-
(of legs) curved outwards at the knees
-
informal to amaze or astound
verb
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to exchange (words) in a heated or hostile manner
-
to give and receive (blows)
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(often foll by about) to circulate (a name, rumour, etc)
-
to throw or strike to and fro; toss about
noun
-
an early form of hockey, often played on ice
-
a stick, curved at one end, used in the game of bandy
-
an old form of tennis
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have bandiedperfect
-
has bandiedperfect 3rd person singular
-
is bandyingprogressive 3rd person singular
-
have been bandyingperfect progressive
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are bandyingprogressive
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am bandyingprogressive 1st person singular
-
has been bandyingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
-
bandyingparticiple
-
bandiessingular 3rd person
Past
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had bandiedperfect
-
were bandyingprogressive plural
-
was bandyingprogressive singular
-
had been bandyingperfect progressive
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bandiedsimple
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bandiedparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of bandy
1570–80; perhaps < Spanish bandear to conduct, bandy, originally help, serve as member of a band of men. See band 1
Explanation
Bandy is a verb that means to toss many ideas around without focusing on just one. If you've ever brainstormed, you know what this is like — you bandy about different ideas until you find one that works. Bandy also means to exchange blows, like in a professional fight. As a skilled heavyweight boxer, you are known to bandy with your opponent for several minutes before you knock him out. Bandy comes from the Middle French word bander which means "to strike back and forth." These days it's also used as a more general term to describe tossing or hitting any ball back and forth.
Vocabulary lists containing bandy
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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.
"People bandy about those terms all the time, and it's ridiculous," he told the LA Times in May.
From BBC • Oct. 16, 2025
“People bandy about those terms all the time, and it’s ridiculous,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times • May 9, 2025
"He wouldn't just bandy words about. It was on the inside, it was like a core inside him," she said.
From Reuters • Nov. 25, 2023
I realize that’s an overblown term that the media likes to bandy about as if it had some sort of cosmic significance.
From Seattle Times • Jun. 3, 2022
Queen Selyse's uncle was a keg of a man with thick arms and bandy legs.
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
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.
