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.
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
A fair share of nasty feedback lands in my mailbox, so I wondered if the auto-response tool could come in handy.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 14, 2026
One possible takeaway is that humility can come in handy when embarking on military interventions.
From BBC • Mar. 12, 2026
When the play was being performed, Violet had watched the light controls carefully, taking mental notes in case these devices came in handy for an invention.
From "The Bad Beginning" by Lemony Snicket
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.
