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handholding

American  
[hand-hohl-ding] / ˈhændˌhoʊl dɪŋ /

noun

  1. the act of holding hands, especially as a sign or token of affection.

  2. constant reassurance and help, especially as an indication of one's interest or confidence.

    We do a lot of handholding with our clients.


Etymology

Origin of handholding

First recorded in 1905–10; hand + holding


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:

It does a fair amount of handholding to introduce you to different features, but it never feels intrusive.

From The Verge ● Sep. 1, 2022

I also found the step change from learning Scratch to Python similarly jarring in the children's toys - you suddenly go from colourful blocks to an empty screen with no handholding.

From BBC ● Jan. 17, 2022

The big question for both investors and company management: Can Palantir successfully transition from a business built on the costly handholding of government customers to serving corporate customers at scale?

From Washington Times ● Sep. 30, 2020

I wonder if the Goggles register the handholding as a “success.”

From Slate ● Jun. 27, 2020

"Because wouldn't it be better," I say, "if the handholding really just meant they were connected, and you didn't have to think about the other possibilities?"

From "We Are Okay" by Nina LaCour

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