forehand

1 of 3

noun

fore·​hand ˈfȯr-ˌhand 

1

archaic : superior position : advantage

2

: the part of a horse that is before the rider

3

: a forehand stroke (as in tennis or racquets)

also : the side on which such strokes are made

Illustration of forehand

• forehand 3

forehand

2 of 3

adjective

1

obsolete : done or given in advance : prior

2

: made with the palm of the hand turned in the direction in which the hand is moving

a forehand tennis stroke

forehand

3 of 3

adverb

: with a forehand stroke

Examples of forehand in a Sentence

Noun

She hit a forehand across the court.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The forehand down the line was deadly, too, leading to success 10 times compared with just four failures. —Ava Wallace, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2026

Greig collected a pass from Shane Pinto at the bottom of the faceoff circle, moved the puck to his forehand and fired a shot past Lankinen midway through the second. —ABC News, 10 Mar. 2026

Adjective

Peeke went with a forehand wrister that Lankinen was able to stop. —Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 21 Dec. 2025

Uranus Uranus can be glimpsed as a naked-eye object by people who are blessed with good eyesight and a clear, dark sky, as well as a forehand knowledge of exactly where to look for it. —Joe Rao, Space.com, 24 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1557, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1599, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

1925, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for forehand

• ampersand
• beforehand
• behindhand
• bottomland
• contraband
• countermand
• dixieland
• fairyland
• fatherland
• firebrand
• hinterland
• motherland

Kids Definition

forehand

noun

fore·​hand

-ˌhand

: a stroke made with the palm of the hand turned in the direction in which the hand is moving

forehand adverb or adjective