handy
1 Americanadjective
-
within easy reach; conveniently available; accessible.
The aspirins are handy.
-
convenient or useful.
A digital thermometer is a handy thing to have at home.
-
skillful with the hands; deft; dexterous.
a handy person.
- Synonyms:
- versatile, all-around
-
easily maneuvered.
a handy ship.
- Synonyms:
- yare, wieldy, manageable
noun
adjective
-
conveniently or easily within reach
-
easy to manoeuvre, handle, or use
a handy tool
-
skilful with one's hands
noun
Related Words
See dexterous.
Other Word Forms
- handiness noun
Etymology
Origin of handy
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English (in surnames); hand, -y 1
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.
Think those three points would have come in handy at the end of the Rams’ loss vs.
From Los Angeles Times
This handy chart below breaks out different tiers of net worth, from the 25th percentile to the top 1%, by age.
From MarketWatch
If you've lost track of what thrilled - and infuriated - users in 2025, here's a handy recall: a round-up of the year's moments that made the country pause, laugh, or even scoff.
From BBC
From ages 7 to 14, it was her job to create balloon figures for partygoers — sculpting skills that would come in handy.
From Los Angeles Times
It came in handy when the Walkers froze salaries for several years amid the difficulties.
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.
