handmade
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of handmade
Explanation
Something that's handmade wasn't made by a machine, but formed, built, or constructed by an actual person. A handmade sweater from your grandma is one she knit herself. Handmade items can look awkward and inexpertly constructed, but just as often they're more beautiful and special than their machine-made counterparts. Handmade pottery is unique, each bowl or mug looking slightly different since they're made and glazed individually, by hand. A handmade birthday card from a young relative is charming in a way its Hallmark equivalent could never be. Handmade comes from the sense of "made 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.
She drove to Highview Avenue and saw a house that had curb appeal, sophisticated landscaping and interior details like handmade cabinets that she would want in a home.
From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026
The groups first met in 2009, bonded by a shared commitment to interactive art experiences that twist reality using an ornate handmade aesthetic.
From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2026
In Lancaster County, there’s a lot of pride tied to fresh pretzels, says Misty Skolnick, co-owner of Uncle Jerry’s Pretzels, a family-owned business best known for their handmade pretzels.
From Salon • Apr. 28, 2026
The Kerns are doubling down on the company’s handmade products—and the crafts workers behind them—at an especially challenging moment for luxury retailers.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 18, 2026
In return, all the little American flags and the handmade signs started bobbing up and down again.
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
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.
