handily
Americanadverb
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skillfully; dexterously; expertly.
to manage a boat handily.
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conveniently.
The books were handily at his side.
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easily.
We won handily.
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Midland U.S. rightly; readily.
You can't handily blame him.
adverb
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in a handy way or manner
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conveniently or suitably
handily nearby
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easily
the horse won handily
Etymology
Origin of handily
Explanation
Doing something handily means it's easy or convenient. If the post office is handily located near your house, you can handily mail all your holiday cards on your way to school. This adverb can be used for things that are close at hand, making them easily available, or for anything done gracefully or dexterously: "She handily shuffled the cards and dealt." However, you'll most often find handily filling in for "easily," in sentences like "They handily won the game," or "He handily beat his opponents in the election." The earliest meaning of handily, dating from the 14th century, was "done by hand."
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.
The 3.7% annualized rate she earned over the 12-year life of her annuity handily beat the 1.9% she would have gotten from Treasurys.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2026
Switzerland dealt handily with Scotland's enthusiasm and waited to land the knockout blows, which came later on.
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
I say “surprising” because, despite sharply higher interest rates over the past six month, they have handily beaten value stocks.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026
Defense might be the wrong word in Georgia, where polls show freshman Sen. Jon Ossoff handily beating a Republican challenger who keeps some questionable company.
From Slate ● Sep. 10, 2026
Both varsity teams win handily against Hartwell, and the JV boys and girls squeak by.
From "The Running Dream" by Wendelin Van Draanen
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.
