Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

handy

1 American  
[han-dee] / ˈhæn di /

adjective

handier, handiest

  1. within easy reach; conveniently available; accessible.

    The aspirins are handy.

  2. convenient or useful.

    A digital thermometer is a handy thing to have at home.

  3. skillful with the hands; deft; dexterous.

    a handy person.
    Synonyms:
    versatile, all-around

  4. easily maneuvered.

    a handy ship.
    Synonyms:
    yare, wieldy, manageable
Handy 2 American  
[han-dee] / ˈhæn di /

noun

  1. W(illiam) C(hristopher), 1873–1958, U.S. blues composer.

handy 1 British  
/ ˈhændɪ /

adjective

  1. conveniently or easily within reach

  2. easy to manoeuvre, handle, or use

    a handy tool

  3. skilful with one's hands

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Handy 2 British  
/ ˈhændɪ /

noun

  1. W ( illiam ) C ( hristopher ). 1873–1958, US blues musician and songwriter, esp noted for the song "St Louis Blues"

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
handy Idioms  

  1. see come in handy.

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.

Musk’s five-step algorithm gets Tesla and SpaceX employees to achieve stretch goals and innovate, and it’s sure to come in handy in his push to build the world’s largest AI chip factory.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

Such status could come in handy if consumers tighten their budgets on the back of broader inflation and higher interest rates.

From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026

There’s nothing really funny about somebody who’s got it all together, and so that’s handy in this, because these people are not together.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 10, 2026

This comes in handy during tax season when spouses butt heads over each other’s saving, spending and investing habits.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 5, 2026

“Latin is the language of scholars and scientists. Then they can all read each other’s books. A very handy language, isn’t it?”

From "Carry On, Mr. Bowditch" by Jean Lee Latham

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.