glad-hand

1 of 2

verb

ˈglad-ˌhand 

glad-handed; glad-handing; glad-hands

transitive verb

: to extend a glad hand to

candidates glad-handing everyone they meet

intransitive verb

: to extend a glad hand

glad-handing as if he were running for mayor

glad-hander

ˈglad-ˌhan-dər 

noun

glad hand

2 of 2

noun

: a warm welcome or greeting often prompted by ulterior reasons

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The sign of the title is a campaign poster for Wally O’Hara (Andy Grotelueschen) a glad-handing candidate running for local office on a reform platform against the party bosses. —Peter Marks, Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2023

He’s never stopped signing autographs, making personal appearances or glad-handing sponsors, though even those responsibilities seem more uncertain under Johnson's reign. —Dan Gelston, ajc, 18 Feb. 2023

He’s never stopped signing autographs, making personal appearances, or glad-handing sponsors, though even those responsibilities seem more uncertain under Johnson’s reign. —Dan Gelston, BostonGlobe.com, 18 Feb. 2023

Most people pound the pavement and glad-hand for months for far less, so consider this the season’s most unlikely master class. —Mikey O'connell, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2023

Noun

Arguably the most notorious figure from the game’s most storied rivalry flew from his South Florida home to Boston for Tuesday night’s game and was expected to glad hand a few Yankees before, for many of them, the biggest game of their lives. —Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY, 5 Oct. 2021

His medium, his material, is human frailty, the near end of original sin, and the tools of his trade are the glad hand, the scratched back, the padded envelope, the cut corner, and the jumped line. —James Parker, The Atlantic, 5 Oct. 2017

See More

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

1903, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun

circa 1895, in the meaning defined above