handyman

noun

handy·​man ˈhan-dē-ˌman How to pronounce handyman (audio)
1
: a person who does odd jobs
2
: one competent in a variety of small skills or inventive or ingenious in repair or maintenance work

called also handyperson

Examples of handyman in a Sentence

hired a handyman to paint the porch, clean the gutters, and replace the broken window
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Defense attorney Stanley Woodward told the court that since his arrest, Johnston has worked as a handyman. Kevin Dolak, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Oct. 2024 Criminal proceedings against a handyman who prosecutors say fatally shot a beloved L.A. bishop last year were suspended Thursday after attorneys raised doubts about his competence to stand trial. James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 18 Oct. 2024 In this new incarnation, Justina Machado plays a veteran of the U.S. Army Nurse Corps who’s raising two kids with the help of her mom (Rita Moreno) in an apartment owned by Pat Schneider (Todd Grinnell), who also doubles as the handyman. Will Harris, EW.com, 10 Sep. 2024 The book opens with the 1982 murder of a well-off elderly white woman, Dorothy Edwards, in Greenwood, South Carolina—a murder for which Elmore, an intellectually disabled Black handyman, is swiftly convicted and sentenced to death. Boris Kachka, The Atlantic, 18 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for handyman 

Word History

First Known Use

1742, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of handyman was in 1742

Dictionary Entries Near handyman

Cite this Entry

“Handyman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/handyman. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

handyman

noun
handy·​man -ˌman How to pronounce handyman (audio)
: a person who does various small jobs

More from Merriam-Webster on handyman

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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