handyman
Americannoun
plural
handymennoun
-
a man employed to do various tasks
-
a man skilled in odd jobs, etc
Gender
See -man.
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.
Outside, the couple leveled the once-dirt backyard, added pea gravel, built a pergola with a handyman and installed a firepit where they enjoy entertaining their friends.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 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
Within weeks the former car mechanic and handyman - a Texan "Mr Fix It" type who wore a cowboy hat and jeans nearly every day - was in end-of-life hospice care.
From BBC • Aug. 30, 2025
And the writers always find the sweetest ways to do that, as when Hank finds out his new retirement hobby as a handyman comes with the expectation of free therapy from his younger clients.
From Salon • Aug. 4, 2025
When the surly handyman showed up that afternoon to nail up a few boards, he seemed an angel from heaven wielding a hammer.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
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.
