left-handed

American  

[left-han-did] / ˈlɛftˈhæn dɪd /

adjective

1. having the left hand more dominant or effective than the right; preferably using the left hand.

   a left-handed pitcher.

2. adapted to or performed by the left hand.

   a left-handed tool; a left-handed tennis serve.

3. situated on the side of the left hand.

4. Machinery.

   1. rotating counterclockwise.

   2. noting a helical or spiral member, as a gear tooth or screw thread, that twists counterclockwise as it recedes from an observer.

5. Building Trades. left-hand.

6. ambiguous or doubtful and often unfavorable or derogatory by implication.

   a left-handed compliment.

7. clumsy or awkward.

8. of, relating to, or issuing from a morganatic marriage: so called from the custom, in morganatic marriage ceremonies, of having the bridegroom give his left hand to the bride.

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adverb

1. with the left leave left hand.

   He writes left-handed.

2. toward the left leave left hand; in a counterclockwise direction.

   The strands of the rope are laid left-handed.

left-handed British  

adjective

1. using the left hand with greater ease than the right

2. performed with the left hand

3. designed or adapted for use by the left hand

4. worn on the left hand

5. awkward or clumsy

6. ironically ambiguous

   a left-handed compliment

7. turning from right to left; anticlockwise

8. law another term for morganatic

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adverb

1. with the left hand

Other Word Forms

• left-handedly adverb
• left-handedness noun

Etymology

Origin of left-handed

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; left ¹, handed

Example Sentences

The left-handed batter struggled for form towards the end of last summer and hit just one half-century in 16 innings across all formats this winter.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

Samson, a right-hander who played in the tournament with Abhishek unwell, could break the left-handed grip on the top of the order.

From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026

It begins as a duet with Kermit, playing his left-handed banjo, and ends with Miss Piggy, who muscles her way in, anxious for screen time after her Aphrodite number is cut.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 4, 2026

One professional, Isaac Rose-Berman, gives an example of his methods: He saw that left-handed servers in tennis, more often than not, win a point against right-handed opponents with weak backhands.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 27, 2026

If the person is left-handed, like Abuela Celia, the right side of her face betrays her true feelings.

From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García