handyman
Americannoun
noun
-
a man employed to do various tasks
-
a man skilled in odd jobs, etc
Gender
See -man.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of handyman
Explanation
Someone who's good at many things, especially fixing things around the house, can be called a handyman. If you need help unclogging a drain and repairing a hole in a window screen, you should call a handyman. A handyman knows how to do minor repairs and odd jobs, and either tackles these on weekends in his own home or advertises his skills and is employed by other people. These days, it's not uncommon to use the word handyperson instead, since it includes both men and women who are handy at fixing and building things. In any case, a handyman or handyperson doesn't specialize in one skill, but dabbles in many.
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.
See Examples For:
If you have to wait for a building superintendent or a handyman, an experience that is notoriously clock-agnostic, it’s no big deal to work from home that afternoon.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
Although I’m a writer with no talent for handyman projects, Bill always assured me and his other customers that we were up to the task.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 12, 2026
The handyman initially filed the lawsuit in 2023, alleging unsafe working conditions, unpaid wages and wrongful termination.
From BBC ● Mar. 11, 2026
Here in the cliff-side village of Las Cuevas, one family is mourning Chad Joseph, 26 years old, whom relatives described as a fisherman and handyman desperate to find a steady job.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2025
The handyman, Mr. Babkow, and his son, Zachary, were helping.
From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein
Founder Kale Li told AFP she first became interested in the industry after becoming tired of dealing with inconsistently priced and unreliable handymen in southwestern Chengdu, where she lives.
From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026
Local handymen have also donated their time for free to fit the new items.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2025
Lentz identified the other victims shot near the McCain siblings as Charles Manuel, 76, and John Rorie, 59, who were both handymen.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 18, 2023
In contrast, Home Depot posted a surprise rise in quarterly comparable sales and increased its annual forecasts, saying growth in sales to professionals including builders and handymen outpaced that to DIY customers.
From Reuters ● May 18, 2022
The Eberts hired professional gardeners and various domestic troubleshooters—plumbers, electricians, and handymen arrived in step vans to do their dirty work—but the Crows always hired neighborhood people.
From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson
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.
