handyman
Americannoun
noun
-
a man employed to do various tasks
-
a man skilled in odd jobs, etc
Gender
See -man.
Etymology
Origin of handyman
Explanation
Someone who's good at many things, especially fixing things around the house, can be called a handyman. If you need help unclogging a drain and repairing a hole in a window screen, you should call a handyman. A handyman knows how to do minor repairs and odd jobs, and either tackles these on weekends in his own home or advertises his skills and is employed by other people. These days, it's not uncommon to use the word handyperson instead, since it includes both men and women who are handy at fixing and building things. In any case, a handyman or handyperson doesn't specialize in one skill, but dabbles in many.
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.
Later that evening, she was moved even more when her boyfriend, Max Mineer, bonded with his feline soulmate, Handyman.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 18, 2025
Adams was born in Salisbury, Md. He and his wife have nine children, some of whom work in the family business, Adams Family Handyman Services.
From Washington Post • Jan. 6, 2023
Underwriters Laboratories, Intertek, and CSA Group are among the most respected independent testing organizations that provide such certification, according to Family Handyman.
From Fox News • Jan. 10, 2022
Another wrote: “I am a 47 yr old Handyman in Dallas. I can’t believe how this helps me through my day. Every morning so far. Does this get better and better?”
From New York Times • Nov. 25, 2020
"But Mr. Handyman is a stranger, remember, father, and we must not trouble him with such things on this his first visit."
From The Unknown Wrestler by Cody, H. A. (Hiram Alfred)
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.
