HANDY Synonyms: 91 Similar and Opposite Words

handy

adjective

ˈhan-dē

Definition of handy

as in convenient

situated within easy reach keeps a box of tissue handy whenever she watches Romeo and Juliet on her home theater

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in skilled

skillful with the hands handy with a needle and thread

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of handy As someone who uses a lot of different phones, this all sounds handy. — Allison Johnson, The Verge, 15 Oct. 2026 This is especially handy because the actual battery life is still only just fine. — Christian De Looper, PC Magazine, 15 Oct. 2026 That quickly comes in handy when Clancy, a sadistic guard, tells the inmates they’re being shipped to the infamous sanitarium Saint Mabyn’s. — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026 Beyond the personalized attention, the new gadget also comes handy as an intercom, helping to communicate with people in the other rooms of the house, much like an Intercom channel. — Muskanbhatia, Interesting Engineering, 13 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for handy

Recent Examples of Synonyms for handy

Adjective

Electricians use plug and play wiring, and our pipes are far more convenient plastic as opposed to lead.

— Scott Levenson, New York Daily News, 18 Oct. 2026
The Dodgers were a convenient boogeyman, but the owners’ desire for cost-control is not actually contingent on the results of a small-sample-size tournament.

— Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of convenient

Adjective

Indeed, Rabe might just have the toughest job of all, and not because she is regularly called upon to joust (sometimes loudly) with performers as skilled and, to repeat, beloved as Louis-Dreyfus and Harris.

— Greg Evans, Deadline, 18 Oct. 2026
Using that information to inform computer models, the scientists found that mosasaurs were skilled ambush predators built for a quick sneak attack.

— October 16, NPR, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of skilled

Adjective

Last year, a Senatobia officer threatened a Black woman with a Taser, pulling her from her car and onto the ground and arresting her during a confrontation over an accessible parking space in the same Walmart lot where Kohen was shot.

— SOPHIE BATES, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026
These cameras are license plate readers that in many cases create detailed portraits of Americans’ vehicle movements, accessible to police across the country without a warrant.

— Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of accessible

Adjective

Fixing Loose Tiles With Hot Glue When tile loosens, one apparently clever home DIY is to reapply it with a hot glue gun.

— Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 15 Oct. 2026
Butter Squishy Butter squishy toys had a banner year, so dressing like one is a fun way to have a clever, timely costume.

— ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of clever

Adjective

But this is an entirely different 5-0, as the Chiefs are now powered by a highly efficient offense and a capable defense.

— Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2026
No one is ignoring that on the other side, Saints quarterback Tyler Shough is capable of undressing the Giants’ secondary if New York’s pass rush doesn’t get home.

— Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of capable

Adjective

But be that guy that can be skillful, a bruiser, fast and tough.

— Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Sep. 2026
As Musashi scrambles through a school of Samurai, the game seamlessly bounces between skillful swordplay, rowdy improvisation, and Looney Tunes-style levity.

— Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of skillful

Adjective

Magpies are opportunistic scavengers, incredibly cunning and deceitful and capable of calculated deception.

— Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 28 Sep. 2026
Last week, Alan Cumming’s cunning competition empire The Traitors unsheathed its most diabolical twist yet.

— Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of cunning

Adjective

Nick Schmaltz scored his NHL-best fifth goal of the season, and the Utah Mammoth relied on their proficient power play to beat the New Jersey Devils 5-3 on Tuesday night.

— CBS News, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026
Charles is dark and brooding, but proficient in manly pursuits.

— Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of proficient

Browse Nearby Words

handwrought

handy

handyman

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“Handy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handy. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of handy

adjective

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