handyhand‧y /ˈhændi/ ●●○ S3 adjective (comparative handier, superlative handiest) 
It’s quite a handy little tool. It’s very handy having a light above your desk. Take your swimming trunks with you – they might come in handy (=be useful).► see thesaurus at useful2informal near and easy to reach: I always keep my gun handy just in case. Do you have a piece of paper handy?handy for British English The house was in Drury Lane, very handy for the theatre.3good at using something, especially a toolhandy with He’s very handy with a screwdriver.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- a handy chart for converting pounds into kilos
- A lot of people in the States have a gun handy at night and when they travel.
- Add a rail to keep kitchen equipment handy.
- It's a handy way of keeping a record of your spending.
- Make sure you keep your passport and ticket handy.
- Many fruit juices are now available in handy little cartons.
- There's a handy cup holder under the car radio.
- There's a special brush you can attach to the vacuum cleaner, which is handy for cleaning the stairs.
- This handy booklet tells you everything you need to know about getting connected to the Internet.
- A handy ditty when competing with other firms.
- Detecting suspicious activity in the community is where the bike patrol agents come in handy.
- He tied the reins to a handy bush and followed the sound of Blondel's voice.
- They should become handier about the house and less concerned with work.
- This command centre is handy to use for your own files and is great when you're designing applications at work.
- What I was about to learn, however, is that the poem was equally handy when competing within Salomon Brothers.
THESAURUS
something that is useful makes it easier for you to do something: · He gave me some useful advice.· a useful thing to know
informal useful – used especially about something that is convenient and easy to use: · a handy little booklet· The book is full of handy hints.· I always keep old jars – you never know when they might come in handy (=be useful).
useful because it helps you to do something: · This drug can be helpful in treating depression.· helpful advice· helpful suggestions
[not before noun] if someone or something is of use, they are useful for you when you are doing something: · I hope you’ll find the book of use.· He wants to be of use.
if doing something is worthwhile, it is useful for you and you benefit from doing it: · The training was certainly worthwhile.· a worthwhile experience· It is worthwhile to start by asking ourselves why people get involved in crime.
Longman Language Activatora thing or way of doing something that is easy and quick a convenient thing or way of doing something is useful because it is quick, easy, and does not cause you any problems: · Credit cards are probably the most convenient way of paying for concert tickets.it is convenient to do something: · I could take the train, but it's more convenient to go by car.
a handy object or method is easy to use or easy to do: · Many fruit juices are now available in handy little cartons.· It's a handy way of keeping a record of your spending.
to have something with you also have got especially British · Excuse me, do you have change for a dollar?· Have you got a pen I could borrow?· Here, I have a map.· I think you've got my tickets.· The dancers had elaborate costumes with long embroidered skirts.
someone with something has that thing now: · There's a man at the door with a parcel for you.· A woman with a baby in a stroller was looking at clothes.· Rob is the guy with the blue jacket.
to be carrying something in your pocket, bag etc: · I don't have enough change on me for the parking meter.· Jim is the only guy I know who always has a handkerchief on him.
to have something in your pocket, bag, hand etc: · Her address is in my diary but I haven't got it with me.· She had her camera with her on the hike.· You should have your identity card with you at all times.
also have/keep something to hand to have something near you, especially because you might need to use it: have something handy/have something to hand: · When you call, have your credit card handy.· Before you begin make sure you have all the tools you need to hand.keep something handy/keep something to hand: · Keep a fire extinguisher handy in the kitchen.· Keep important telephone numbers to hand by the telephone.
formal to have something in your hand, pocket, bag etc, especially something illegal: · The man who was arrested had an illegal firearm in his possession.· The drugs he had in his possession had an estimated street value of $15,000.
near enough to pick up/touch/hit if something is handy , it is near enough for you to pick up and use quickly and easily: keep/have something handy: · Make sure you keep your passport and ticket handy.· A lot of people in the States have a gun handy at night and when they travel.
if something is within reach , it is near enough for you to take hold of or touch when you stretch out your hand: · As soon as she was within reach he grabbed her wrist.within easy reach: · Roy pulled the ashtray towards him so that it was within easy reach.within somebody's reach: · At this exploratory stage, small children will want to touch anything you leave within their reach.
if something is within range , it is near enough for you to attack it or for a weapon to reach it: · Once its prey is within range, the snake's head shoots forward to attack.within range of: · The village is well within range of the rockets which are being fired.come within range of something: · A day later, the "Tiger" convoy came within range of air attack.
a gun fired point-blank is fired very close to the person or thing it is aimed at: · The men broke into the building at the dead of night, and shot their victims point-blank as they slept.
easy to get to if a place is within walking distance , it is not far away, and you can walk there easily: · There are several good restaurants within walking distance.within walking/driving etc distance of: · Dr Goldthorpe lived within walking distance of the University.within easy walking etc distance (of something): · Fortunately the house that we were renting was within easy driving distance of the shops.
near enough to a town or place for you to get there without too much difficulty: within reach of: · It was just lucky that we were within reach of a hospital.within easy reach (=near enough to get to easily): · Around Salzburg there are literally dozens of exciting places to visit -- all within easy reach.
British also convenient to something American if your home, office etc is convenient for or handy for a particular place, that place is near it and easy to reach: · The place where we live now is very convenient for the school - it's only a couple of minutes on foot.· My husband works in London so we're looking for a house that's handy for the station. · We found an apartment convenient to campus and public transportation.
also round the corner British not far away, especially in the streets of a town: · "Is there a bank near here?" "Sure, it's just around the corner."· She won't be long, she's only gone round the corner.around the corner from: · We met in a bar just around the corner from my apartment.
if a building or person is close at hand , they are very near and therefore available in case you need them: · The Exhibition Centre is a great day out, with plenty of parking and all the attractions of Manchester close at hand.· I'm very glad that, when my children were small, my mother was always close at hand.
if you say it's no distance , you mean that a place is not far away and is therefore easy to get to: · We come up here regularly from London; it's no distance. it's no distance from: · It's no distance from here to Fifth Avenue. We can easily walk it.
if one place is a stone's throw from another place, it is only a very short distance from it, so that it is easy to get to: · I was born in Wembley, a stone's throw from the football stadium!only a stone's throw from something: · Stanford Hospital is only a stone's throw from where I live.within a stone's throw of something: · The river's within a stone's throw of our apartment - we can see it from the window.
useful something that is useful makes it easier for you to do something: · See page 35 for a list of useful addresses.· The bank gave us a lot of useful advice about starting our own business.useful for (doing) something: · Scotch tape is very useful for making quick repairs.useful to: · information that may be useful to the enemyuseful in (doing) something: · This equipment will prove useful in testing premature babies who we suspect might have hearing problems.
formal to be useful: · If there are items in the newspaper files which could be of use, please take a copy of them.be of use to: · This book will be of use to all teachers.be some/any use: · Would these computer cleaners be any use to you?be of some use (=be fairly useful): · The information is slightly out-of-date, but it could still be of some use.
informal useful and easy to use: · This handy booklet tells you everything you need to know about getting connected to the Internet.· a handy chart for converting pounds into kiloshandy for (doing) something: · There's a special brush you can attach to the vacuum cleaner, which is handy for cleaning the stairs.
designed to be useful rather than attractive - use this especially about clothes and things you use in your house: · The company specializes in making practical footwear for the leisure sports market.· a type of floor covering that is simple, practical, and cheap
especially spoken to be suitable and useful for a particular job or purpose: · The table does take up a lot of space, but it's good for parties.· The big jars are good for storing pasta.
something that is helpful is useful because it helps you to do something: · I found these cassettes very helpful when I was learning Spanish.· The Student Cook Book provides basic helpful advice without sounding patronising.helpful in doing something: · The drug Prozac can be helpful in treating anxiety.it is helpful to do something: · I think it would be helpful to summarize what we agreed at the last meeting.
help, advice, knowledge etc that is valuable is very useful in helping you do something: · Joyce gave us a lot of valuable advice when we first started the company.valuable to: · Your knowledge and experience would be very valuable to us.it is valuable for somebody to do something: · While it is valuable for children to have individual responsibilities, it is also good to share jobs with them.valuable contribution: · Nuclear power makes a valuable contribution to the environment by curbing carbon dioxide emissions.
use this to say that something you do has a useful result: · I didn't bother looking at the instructions -- I didn't think it was worth it.be worth doing/trying etc (=used especially to suggest doing something): · It may be worth putting an advertisement in the local paper.
useful only in particular situations informal also come in useful British informal something that comes in handy is not always necessary, but is good to have because it can be very useful in particular situations: · My knowledge of Spanish came in handy when the car broke down near Madrid.· Sometimes there are problems that are too big for you to sort out on your own. That's when professional advice comes in useful.come in handy for (doing) something: · A hacksaw always comes in handy for cutting plastic pipes.come in handy as: · I suppose you thought I might come in useful as a translator.
informal use this to say that something is more useful than it seems: · This typewriter may be old, but it has its uses.· A knowledge of Latin can have its uses -- for instance, it can help you if you are learning Italian.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY It’s very handy having a light above your desk. Take your swimming trunks with you – they might come in handy (=be useful). I always keep my gun handy just in case. Do you have a piece of paper handy?COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
It’s very handy having a light above your desk. Take your swimming trunks with you – they might come in handy (=be useful). I always keep my gun handy just in case. Do you have a piece of paper handy?· This is a useful checklist for anyone travelling abroad.
· Go to their website to find useful tips on buying and selling a home.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB· For those of us who are less fortunate, Correct Letters could come in handy.· Extra money will come in handy as there will soon be a particular project to support.· Don't forget the Survival Pack, which is bound to come in handy.· Spreadsheet convert to values One useful trick that often comes in handy is to convert an entire spreadsheet to values.· The fans would have come in handy during the humid weather over the last few days.· Addictions do come in handy sometimes: at least you have to get out of bed for them.· And both of these were to come in handy.· I had organised two more fallback packages that would come in handy now.
· It was something he felt might come in very handy.· Border fork A smaller version of a digging fork; very handy for working among close-spaced plants and lifting individual seedlings.· The matches are designed not to blow out in strong winds or when immersed in water. Very handy.· Missile troops positioned on hilltops are very handy for protecting artillery units.· One thousand smackers would come in very handy at the moment.· There was something very handy about the way this story had come out.· The bike came in very handy then because it's about nine miles to Cotherstone, where we used to meet.· Getting to use a whole extra rank of weapons in the face of a charge can come in very handy.
NOUN· Readers with humorous computing tales or handy hints are welcome to write to Fatal Dos Error at the usual address.· None of them ever enlivened maths lessons with a few handy hints about alternative sexuality.· Here to get you started are a few ... Practical pointers and handy hints 1 Think about your class and year group.· Practical pointers and handy hints 1 Don't feel a failure if you've never had a boyfriend or girlfriend.
· All it takes is some imagination to think up handy tips to help other producers.· This is a handy tip for setting a home-built kite bridle.· On page 26 we suggest handy tips for teaching her to dress herself.· Any handy tips for good, strong growth, please?· The associated language analysis is useful as a reference work and set of handy tips.
WORD FAMILYnounhandhandfuladjectiveunderhandhandyverbhandadverbhandily
1useful: It’s quite a handy little tool. It’s very handy having a light above your desk. Take your swimming trunks with you – they might come in handy (=be useful).► see thesaurus at useful2informal near and easy to reach: I always keep my gun handy just in case. Do you have a piece of paper handy?handy for British English The house was in Drury Lane, very handy for the theatre.3good at using something, especially a toolhandy with He’s very handy with a screwdriver.