backhanded

[ bak-han-did ]

/ ˈbækˌhæn dɪd /

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adjective

performed with the hand turned backward, crosswise, or in any oblique direction so that the palm of the hand faces in the direction of the body and the back of the hand faces in the direction of forward movement.

sloping in a downward direction from left to right: backhanded writing.

oblique or ambiguous in meaning; indirect; insincere or malicious; wry: backhanded methods; a backhanded compliment.

Ropemaking. noting a rope in which the yarns and the strands are laid in the same direction, the rope itself being laid in the opposite direction.

adverb

with the hand across the body; backhand: He caught the ball backhanded.

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Origin of backhanded

First recorded in 1790–1800; back² + handed

OTHER WORDS FROM backhanded

back·hand·ed·ly, adverbback·hand·ed·ness, noun

Words nearby backhanded

background processing, background projection, background radiation, back hack, backhand, backhanded, backhander, backhaul, backhoe, backhouse, backie

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use backhanded in a sentence

Though I’m sure Michaels intended for this comment to be wholly complimentary of Zayak and her ability, describing Zayak’s body as a “fireplug” and talking about her lack of line gives the compliment a backhanded feel.
The Quad Jump Revolution Has Transformed Women’s Figure Skating. How Far Will It Go?|Dvora Meyers|February 3, 2022|FiveThirtyEight
That said, there are two plausible reasons why justices like Kavanaugh and Barrett might prefer a more backhanded approach.
How the Supreme Court could overrule Roe v. Wade without overruling Roe v. Wade|Ian Millhiser|November 29, 2021|Vox
That said, there may be one important difference between a decision explicitly overruling Roe and a decision that does so in a more backhanded way.
How the Supreme Court could overrule Roe v. Wade without overruling Roe v. Wade|Ian Millhiser|November 29, 2021|Vox
Completing the motion, Howe pulled the puck back to his own left and backhanded it hard into the open side of the net.
Gordie Howe Hockey’s Greatest War Horse|W.C. Heinz|May 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Shawn sat up to say something, and he hauled off and backhanded her across the face.
The Strange and Mysterious Death of Mrs. Jerry Lee Lewis|Richard Ben Cramer|January 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I realized that the very narrowness of my complaints was backhanded evidence of the enormous amount that the film gets right.
Revisiting Lincoln|Justin Green|December 18, 2012|DAILY BEAST
In his heyday, Richards had an eerily clinical and meticulous approach to drug use, a backhanded compliment to be sure.
Cavalcade of Bad Boy Flameouts|Eric Dezenhall|March 4, 2011|DAILY BEAST
For these women, “crazy” is a backhanded compliment, a path on the road to fame.
Crazy Chick Flicks|Ramin Setoodeh|January 31, 2011|DAILY BEAST
For myself, though I received only a backhanded blow on the chest, I staggered as if I had been struck with a sledgehammer.
In the Days of My Youth|Amelia Ann Blandford Edwards
Korman backhanded him across the throat without looking around, with such force that Gibson staggered back and fell.
Irresistible Weapon|Horace Brown Fyfe
Simms threw the brim of his soft hat up with a backhanded stroke and shook his head.
The Real Man|Francis Lynde
The writing was what is known as "backhanded," in strokes which appeared at first sight to be of a uniform lightness.
Round the Block|John Bell Bouton
Mikah asked, and one of the guards backhanded him to the ground.
The Ethical Engineer|Henry Maxwell Dempsey

British Dictionary definitions for backhanded

backhanded

/ (ˌbækˈhændɪd) /

adjective

(of a blow, shot, stroke, etc) performed with the arm moving across the body

double-edged; equivocala backhanded compliment

(of handwriting) slanting to the left

(of a rope) twisted in the opposite way to the normal right-handed direction

adverb

in a backhanded manner

Derived forms of backhanded

backhandedly, adverbbackhandedness, noun

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

backhanded

Origin of backhanded

OTHER WORDS FROM backhanded

Words nearby backhanded

Words related to backhanded

How to use backhanded in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for backhanded

Derived forms of backhanded