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handyman

American  
[han-dee-man] / ˈhæn diˌmæn /

noun

plural

handymen

  1. a person hired to do various small jobs, especially in the maintenance of an apartment building, office building, or the like.

handyman British  
/ ˈhændɪˌmæn /

noun

  1. a man employed to do various tasks

  2. a man skilled in odd jobs, etc

"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

Gender

See -man.

Etymology

Origin of handyman

First recorded in 1870–75; handy + man

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.

Although I’m a writer with no talent for handyman projects, Bill always assured me and his other customers that we were up to the task.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026

She grew up in Yorkshire where her father was a self-employed handyman and her mother a part-time community worker.

From BBC • Aug. 9, 2025

And the writers always find the sweetest ways to do that, as when Hank finds out his new retirement hobby as a handyman comes with the expectation of free therapy from his younger clients.

From Salon • Aug. 4, 2025

Barrera De Paz, who wore paint-splattered blue jeans, works as a handyman and had rushed over from Long Beach after seeing a live video on TikTok of arrests unfolding.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 20, 2025

I would help Father with his handyman chores in certain of Mr. Alger’s buildings that were in safe areas.

From "Dragonwings" by Laurence Yep

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.