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.
He lost in Detroit by 28 points; Stevens won the city handily.
From Slate ● Oct. 6, 2026
The automation software firm handily beat revenue expectations among analysts polled by FactSet.
From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026
Lilly’s total revenue climbed 48% to $23.0 billion, up from $15.6 billion in the same three months a year ago, and handily beating a FactSet estimate of $20.7 billion.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026
Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization was $311.3 million, handily beating the company’s own guidance, as well as investors’ projection of $270 million.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
The possibility of some new clothes had woken Lady Constance up handily.
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
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.
