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

But in the first swing of the match, Nakashima botched his first serve, and on his second, Shelton sent a booming 97 mph lefty forehand down the line that curled into the court to earn the break. — Ava Wallace, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026

Blatt hooks in a forehand for another match point opportunity, but Campbell wins an amazing rally for 22-22. — Todd Boss, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026

Adjective

Sinner broke for 5-4 and then closed it out at love with a forehand overhead winner. — Adam Zagoria, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026

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

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