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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OTHER WORDS FROM backhanded
back·hand·ed·ly, adverbback·hand·ed·ness, nounWords 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. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for backhanded
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, nounCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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