: 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
often : using the hands to touch another person in an aggressively sexual way
There isn't anything new about men in positions of power behaving inappropriately. 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
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

Examples of handsy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web At one point, Campbell tells the story of her relationship with the designer Azzedine Alaïa, who took on a paternal role in her life and protected her from handsy men. Carrie Battan, The New Yorker, 5 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'handsy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1946, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of handsy was in 1946

Dictionary Entries Near handsy

Cite this Entry

“Handsy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/handsy. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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