forehand

American  

[fawr-hand, fohr-] / ˈfɔrˌhænd, ˈfoʊr- /

adjective

1. (in tennis, squash, etc.) of, relating to, or noting a stroke made from the same side of the body as that of the hand holding the racket, paddle, etc.

2. being in front or ahead.

3. foremost or leading.

4. done beforehand; given or made in advance, as a payment.

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noun

forehands plural

1. (in tennis, squash, etc.) a forehand stroke.

2. the part of a horse that is in front of the rider.

3. Cards. the player on the dealer's left, in a game with three players.

4. Archaic. a superior or advantageous position.

adverb

1. (in tennis, squash, etc.) with a forehand stroke.

forehand British  

/ ˈfɔːˌhænd /

adjective

1. sport

   1. (of a stroke) made with the racket held so that the wrist is facing the direction of the stroke

   2. of or relating to the right side of a right-handed player or the left side of a left-handed player

2. foremost or paramount

3. done or given beforehand

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noun

1. sport

   1. a forehand stroke

   2. the side on which such strokes are made

2. the part of a horse in front of the saddle

3. a frontal position

adverb

1. sport with a forehand stroke

verb

1. sport to play (a shot) forehand

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• forehands
  plural

Etymology

Origin of forehand

First recorded in 1535–45; fore- + hand

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

forehand forehands

And when Coach Chessa Mehlman asks a young player to show off his forehand, he sits on the racket.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026

With a cross-court forehand from Gauff threatening to fizz straight past her, the Czech player stretched out, leapt into the air and put away the volley winner before falling face down on the grass.

From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026

Her serve has often been fragile, leading to numerous double faults, and her forehand has also been liable to falter in crucial moments.

From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026

She abandoned preconceived notions of beautiful grass-court tennis, opting instead to figure out how to get the best out of her extreme Western forehand grip and heavy topspin on grass.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026

I tried hitting one backhand; the stroke was horrible; I returned to only whacking my forehand, my best stroke.

From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane

She hit a couple of sizzler forehands that found the lines.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026

A tight first set flew by without a single break-point opportunity, before two weak forehands into the net from Bublik allowed a rock-solid Auger-Aliassime to win the tie-break.

From Barron's ● Nov. 1, 2025

The players who enjoy heavy top-spin on their forehands - like Kartal - often also enjoy hitting their slice backhands.

From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2025

World number 59 Munar said before the match that his chances of an upset were "low" - but he came within touching distance of victory, thanks to some strong serving and deep, powerful forehands.

From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2025

Charles saw the rush of the leading black, And the forehands lift and the men sway back; He steadied his horse, then with crash and crying The top of the Turk's Grave Fence went flying.

From Right Royal by Masefield, John