single-handed

[ sing-guhl-han-did ]
See synonyms for single-handed on Thesaurus.com
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.

Origin of single-handed

1
First recorded in 1700–10

Other words from single-handed

  • sin·gle-hand·ed·ness, noun

Words Nearby single-handed

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use single-handed in a sentence

  • single-handed he had to fight against the Spanish cruiser, for it was certain that the Brooklyn could give no assistance.

British Dictionary definitions for single-handed

single-handed

adjective, adverb
  1. unaided or working alone: a single-handed crossing of the Atlantic

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

Derived forms of single-handed

  • single-handedly, adverb
  • single-handedness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012