Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for handbag. Search instead for Gucci handbag.
Synonyms

handbag

American  
[hand-bag] / ˈhændˌbæg /

noun

  1. a bag or box of leather, fabric, plastic, or the like, held in the hand or carried by means of a handle or strap, commonly used for holding money, personal grooming items, small purchases, etc.

  2. valise.

handbag British  
/ ˈhændˌbæɡ /

noun

  1. Also called: bag.   purse.   pocketbook.  a woman's small bag carried to contain personal articles

  2. a small suitcase that can be carried by hand

  3. a commercial style of House music

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of handbag

First recorded in 1860–65; hand + bag

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.

The Fabergé items were in her handbag after she took them for display at a work event earlier that evening.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

Simon unleashed a tirade at Coach executive Todd Kahn during their first meeting in the first decade of the 2000s, after the handbag maker tried to renege on deals to open stores in Simon malls.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

Hermès doesn’t care if your AI agent found a cheaper handbag.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 19, 2026

She loves her jewelry, she loves her big giant handbag.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2026

The mother's handbag lay on a chair at the other end of the table.

From "Matilda" by Roald Dahl

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.