backhand
Americannoun
-
backhands
plural
-
a stroke, slap, etc., made with the palm of the hand turned toward the body and the back of the hand turned in the direction of the stroke, slap, etc.
-
(in tennis, squash, etc.) a stroke made from the side of the body opposite to that of the hand holding the racket, paddle, etc.
-
handwriting that slopes toward the left.
adjective
-
(in tennis, squash, etc.) of, relating to, or noting a stroke made from the side of the body opposite to that of the hand holding the racket, paddle, etc.
adverb
-
with the back of the hand.
He hit him backhand across the face.
-
from across the body; backhanded.
She returned the ball backhand on the first serve.
verb (used with object)
-
backhands,
present (3rd person singular)
-
backhanded,
past participle, past
-
backhanding
present participle
-
to strike with the back of the hand.
-
to hit, produce, or accomplish with a backhand.
-
to catch (a ball or the like) backhanded.
noun
-
sport
-
a stroke made across the body with the back of the hand facing the direction of the stroke
-
( as modifier )
a backhand return
-
-
the side on which backhand strokes are made
-
handwriting slanting to the left
adverb
verb
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
backhandsimple
-
backhandssimple
-
have backhandedperfect
-
has backhandedperfect
-
am backhandingprogressive
-
are backhandingprogressive
-
is backhandingprogressive
-
have been backhandingperfect progressive
-
has been backhandingperfect progressive
Past
-
backhandedsimple
-
had backhandedperfect
-
was backhandingprogressive
-
were backhandingprogressive
-
had been backhandingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of backhand
Explanation
A backhand is when you hit a ball with a racket or paddle with your arm across your body and the back of your hand facing the ball. Some tennis players find it challenging to hit a backhand. You can use the word backhand as a noun or an adjective, to describe a stroke in tennis, squash, or any other sport that involves a racket. When backhand is a verb, it can mean to hit the ball this way, but it more often means to hit or slap someone with the back of your hand. The tennis stroke meaning has been around since the 1650s.
Vocabulary lists containing backhand
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.
See Examples For:
His exit has been as graceful as his one-handed backhand.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
Query why emoluments get the backhand, and this clause is sort of forgotten and maybe implicitly deemed as this backwater.
From Slate ● Aug. 17, 2026
After receiving a warning for a time violation, a frustrated Muchova lofted a backhand beyond the baseline and gifted Gauff the first match point.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
Having taken a bathroom break before the second set, a re-energised Gauff returned with more aggression, and she eventually found a way past Muchova on her ninth break point with a sublime cross-court backhand winner.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
He huffed and puffed all over the court, ran around his backhand, double-faulted God knows how many times, cursed himself for missing easy shots.
From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane
The man’s service might be questionable, but his backhands are unparalleled.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 8, 2026
One professional, Isaac Rose-Berman, gives an example of his methods: He saw that left-handed servers in tennis, more often than not, win a point against right-handed opponents with weak backhands.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 27, 2026
The players who enjoy heavy top-spin on their forehands - like Kartal - often also enjoy hitting their slice backhands.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2025
She still can offer stinging serves and big backhands, but her performance this time was filled with mistakes, including 10 double-faults.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 7, 2024
And Reggie lost the next game through a mix of unforced errors and weak backhands.
From "The Parker Inheritance" by Varian Johnson
Only days earlier, Mays had given what could be perceived as a backhanded compliment.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
Watts says you may already be attached once you notice the signs—they start a fight after a big event in the partner’s life, give backhanded compliments, monopolize the conversation—but it’s not worth sticking around.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 9, 2025
Last Thanksgiving was full of backhanded compliments and pointed remarks.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 27, 2025
They may also chip away at your mood slowly, through backhanded compliments or pressuring you to be upbeat, where they don't allow you to express how you are really feeling.
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2025
She wrote tracking and then using cucos right beneath it on the blackboard, and Seven wasn’t sure how to feel at the backhanded compliment.
From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega
Carlsson then evened things at 3-3 less than two minutes later, backhanding the puck over Canuck goalie Nikita Tolopilo while skating away from the crease for his 29th goal of the season.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 12, 2026
Just over two minutes later, Alexis Lafrenière made the play of the night — faking a shot between his legs before backhanding the puck past Capitals goaltender Darcy Kuemper to make it 2-0.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 2, 2023
Verhaeghe scored the game-winner just 2:46 into overtime, backhanding a shot into the back of the net to leave Samsonov lying on the ice in disbelief and Capitals fans stunned.
From Washington Times ● May 13, 2022
Kane scored again, on a rebound, before Anze Kopitar spared the Kings the embarrassment of a second straight shutout by backhanding the puck under the crossbar and past Mike Smith at 10:07.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 7, 2022
Chiasson scored the equalizer 14:31 into the final period, backhanding a bouncing rebound from a Quinn Hughes shot.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 28, 2022
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
