handy

adjective

ˈhan-dē 

handier; handiest

1

a

: conveniently near

b

: convenient for use

c

of a ship : easily handled

2

: clever in using the hands especially in a variety of useful ways

handy with a hammer as well as with a paintbrush

handiness noun

Synonyms

• convenient
• accessible

Examples of handy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Billboard’s Friday Music Guide serves as a handy guide to this Friday’s most essential releases — the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond. —Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, 4 July 2025

Google Photos has always been a handy way to store and organize your pictures, but its latest feature, Ask Photos, is taking things to a whole new level. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 4 July 2025

Being dragged against the chest-high pier railing and into the water was just a remote possibility, and there was always a sharp knife handy to cut the line. —Donald Millus, Outdoor Life, 3 July 2025

This Anker power bank has a handy pop-up Apple Watch charger that can deliver 5 watts and supports Nightstand mode. —Scott Gilbertson, Wired News, 3 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1525, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing handy

• come in handy
• handy dandy
• handy for

Rhymes for handy

• bandy
• brandy
• candy
• dandy
• grandee
• randy
• shandy

Kids Definition

handy

adjective

ˈhan-dē 

handier; handiest

1

a

: conveniently near

b

: easily handled or used

a handy sloop

a handy reference book

2

: clever in using the hands : dexterous

handy with a needle

Biographical Definition

Handy

biographical name

Han·​dy ˈhan-dē 

W(illiam) C(hristopher) 1873–1958 American blues musician