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

More misses on her forehand gifted Muchova a double-break lead and the Czech kept her level consistently high to serve out the first set with an ace.

From BBC • Jul. 9, 2026

Once a promising footballer on the books of Roma, Cobolli uses his athleticism to move into position and unleash his heavy forehand.

From BBC • Jul. 8, 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

But a double fault in the eighth game by the Filipina gifted Paolini a break point, which Eala conceded with an overhit forehand to fall 5-3 behind.

From BBC • Jul. 6, 2026

My forehand was relatively strong, my backhand regrettably weak.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela