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.
They may send only three: Rep. Troy Carter, a Black Democrat, handily held his seat in the sole remaining majority-Black district.
From Slate ● Nov. 5, 2026
Gen. Rob Bonta, a former Democratic state legislator, handily won releection as the state’s top prosecutor.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026
GSK beat earnings estimates handily, but suffered soft vaccine sales.
From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026
Quite handily, the deterrent role of U.S nuclear forces in such a confrontation?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
When they won, they did so handily; when they lost, they fell apart completely.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
