handsy
adjective
: using the hands in an unusually active or noticeable manner
a handsy golf swing
With Ricky Rubio being such a nuisance as a defender, the Wolves have the luxury of a quick, handsy … point guard who can bother the rest of the opposing point guards in the NBA.—
CBS Sports.com
CBS Sports.com
often
: using the hands to touch another person in an aggressively sexual way
A handsy boss, who has no filter and no fear of offending, is a staple of old movies and shows like Mad Men. —Karol Markowicz
Karol Markowicz She's found herself standing in elevators at tech conferences late at night when a guy would decide to get, as she puts it, handsy. —Liza Mundy
Liza Mundy Examples of handsy in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
After The New York Post published the Russini-Vrabel photos last week, the pair downplayed the handsy interaction.
—Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 14 Apr. 2026
And one in particular got entirely too handsy with the actor.
—Kathleen Perricone, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Apr. 2026
Both are handsy at the point of attack.
—Fred Katz, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2026
Brooklyn got a little too handsy, the free throws piled up, and Miami’s 7-for-8 start at the line was the difference in a quarter where the Heat shot 48% and still carried a 34-28 lead.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 4 Mar. 2026
UConn started the game just 3-for-12 from the field and fell into a four-minute scoring drought as the Pirates, aggressive and handsy on the defensive end, took a 14-11 lead around the 10-minute mark.
—Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 28 Feb. 2026
Next door, at the nearly pitch-black bar Nothing Really Matters, a pair of court officers knocked back tomato martinis as a couple got handsy over pilsners a few seats down.
—The Editors, Curbed, 15 Dec. 2025
The Nuggets spent training camp and the preseason declaring their goal to be more handsy and aggressive defensively this season, to force the referees to call fouls like Oklahoma City does so effectively.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 2 Dec. 2025
All of a sudden, Rocky gets handsy and pushes her face, prompting her husband to reach out and move his hand away.
—Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 26 Nov. 2025
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Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 14 Apr. 2026
And one in particular got entirely too handsy with the actor.
—Kathleen Perricone, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Apr. 2026
Both are handsy at the point of attack.
—Fred Katz, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2026
Brooklyn got a little too handsy, the free throws piled up, and Miami’s 7-for-8 start at the line was the difference in a quarter where the Heat shot 48% and still carried a 34-28 lead.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 4 Mar. 2026
UConn started the game just 3-for-12 from the field and fell into a four-minute scoring drought as the Pirates, aggressive and handsy on the defensive end, took a 14-11 lead around the 10-minute mark.
—Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 28 Feb. 2026
Next door, at the nearly pitch-black bar Nothing Really Matters, a pair of court officers knocked back tomato martinis as a couple got handsy over pilsners a few seats down.
—The Editors, Curbed, 15 Dec. 2025
The Nuggets spent training camp and the preseason declaring their goal to be more handsy and aggressive defensively this season, to force the referees to call fouls like Oklahoma City does so effectively.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 2 Dec. 2025
All of a sudden, Rocky gets handsy and pushes her face, prompting her husband to reach out and move his hand away.
—Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 26 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Handsy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/handsy. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.
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