handily
Americanadverb
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skillfully; dexterously; expertly.
to manage a boat handily.
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conveniently.
The books were handily at his side.
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easily.
We won handily.
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Midland U.S. rightly; readily.
You can't handily blame him.
adverb
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in a handy way or manner
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conveniently or suitably
handily nearby
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easily
the horse won handily
Etymology
Origin of handily
Explanation
Doing something handily means it's easy or convenient. If the post office is handily located near your house, you can handily mail all your holiday cards on your way to school. This adverb can be used for things that are close at hand, making them easily available, or for anything done gracefully or dexterously: "She handily shuffled the cards and dealt." However, you'll most often find handily filling in for "easily," in sentences like "They handily won the game," or "He handily beat his opponents in the election." The earliest meaning of handily, dating from the 14th century, was "done by hand."
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.
"It sits absolutely between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogies, and books in fact," he explains handily, as it can be difficult to keep up with the ever-expanding Tolkienverse.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
Moreover, even during the “modern era” in which stocks have handily beaten bonds, a conservative 60/40 stock-bond portfolio has held up surprisingly well.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 1, 2026
The benchmark index’s financials sector has gained 4.2%, healthcare has added 6.5% and industrials have climbed 7.2%, all handily beating communication services’ and information technology’s more than 3% declines this month.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
Harvie won handily in his primary, but Baines, in the California primary on Tuesday, was trailing her progressive opponent, Randy Villegas, at the time of writing, though the race was too close to call.
From Salon ● Jun. 5, 2026
As if to rub in my ineptitude, Otto handily pulled away a shoot and munched away.
From "Endangered" by Eliot Schrefer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
