single-handed

[sing-guhl-han-did]

adjective

1. accomplished or done by one person alone.

   a single-handed victory; single-handed sailing.

2. by one's own effort; unaided.

adverb

1. by oneself; alone; without aid.

   He built the garage single-handed.

single-handed

adjective

1. unaided or working alone

   a single-handed crossing of the Atlantic

2. having or operated by one hand or one person only

Other Word Forms

• single-handedness noun
• single-handedly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of single-handed¹

First recorded in 1700–10

When To Use

What does single-handed mean?

Single-handed is used to describe something done or accomplished alone—without help from anyone, as in a single-handed attempt.It can also be used as an adverb meaning the same thing as single-handedly, as in Carol completed the project single-handed—she did every last thing herself. Single-handed is also used in situations in which someone has done something without help from anyone else even though they were available, as in She beat the other team single-handed—scoring the final 15 points of the game by herself. Example: This usually takes three or four people, so how did you manage to do it single-handed?