handily

American  

[han-di-lee, -dl-ee] / ˈhæn dɪ li, -dl i /

adverb

1. skillfully; dexterously; expertly.

   to manage a boat handily.

2. conveniently.

   The books were handily at his side.

3. easily.

   We won handily.

4. Midland U.S. rightly; readily.

   You can't handily blame him.

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handily British  

/ ˈhændɪlɪ /

adverb

1. in a handy way or manner

2. conveniently or suitably

   handily nearby

3. easily

   the horse won handily

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Etymology

Origin of handily

First recorded in 1605–15; handy + -ly

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

Burnham’s springboard to power comes after winning a special district election in Makerfield, where he beat the Reform candidate handily in what his supporters say is proof he is the man to take on Farage.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 22, 2026

Brian Glorioso was an attorney she had handily defeated in 2018.

From Salon • Jun. 8, 2026

In that contest, which he won handily, he had the major advantage of incumbency after being appointed by Gov. Jerry Brown to fill the vacancy caused by then-Atty.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2026

Snowflake surges 37% after 1Q profit handily surpassed Wall Street’s expectations.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026

Later that fall, I buckled down and studied for a do-over test, going on to pass it handily.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Related Words

• cleverly
• conveniently
• easily
• smoothly