Question 1 · Quick check
handy
CEFRB1
/ˈhæn.di/
adjective
Türkçe translations
Translating…
In plain English
- 01
adjective
Useful or convenient to have nearby.
- 02
adjective
Extra detailDexterous, skilful. (of a person)
Examples
Always keep a bucket of water handy, in case of fire.
Keep a flashlight handy in case of a power outage.
At a glance
Sits at B1 on the CEFR scale
- Senses
- 5
- Parts of speech
- 1
- Citations
- 5
- Synonyms
- 5
Deep Dive
adjective
Extra meaningsNearby, within reach.
Easy to use, useful.
Of a freight ship: having a small cargo capacity (less than 40,000 DWT); belonging to the handysize class.
More examples
In contextThe bus stop is quite handy.
I keep a first-aid kit handy in case of emergency.
Some people regard duct tape as a handy fix-all.
Related
Quick test
Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.
Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.
Nearby
Origin
adjective
From Middle English handy, hondi (attested in personal names), alteration of earlier hendi (“handy, skillful”), from Old English *hendiġ (“skillful”) (attested in listhendiġ (“skilled in art”)), from Proto-West Germanic *handīg, *handag, *handug, from Proto-Germanic *handugaz (“handy, skillful, nimble”), from *handuz (“hand”), equivalent to hand + -y. Cognate with Saterland Frisian jäntich (“handy”), Middle Low German handich (“skillful, apt”), Middle High German handec, hendec (“manual, hand-held”), Old Norse hǫndugr (“efficient”), Gothic 𐌷𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌿𐌲𐍃 (handugs, “wise, clever”). Akin to Dutch handig (“handy”), Norwegian hendig (“handy”), Swedish händig (“handy”).