backhanded
/bakˈhandɪd
/adjective
1Made with the back of the hand facing in the direction of movement: a backhanded pass...
- Less than four minutes in, he delivered a beautiful backhanded pass that resulted in a three-point play.
- He also isn't playing good defense, failing to make the backhanded stops he has made most of the season.
- The center fielder jumped against the wall attempting a backhanded catch.
2Having a meaning that is expressed indirectly or ambiguously: coming from me, teasing is a backhanded compliment...
- It sold 55,000, and people started calling him the best rapper in Britain - a bit of a backhanded compliment, taking into account the whole suitcase-and-waterpistol state of British rap.
- The poem is a riposte to Lord Beauchamp's backhanded compliment to Australians, ‘Your birthstain you have turned to good.’
- One time we played with a traditional puppet master from Japan, and he told us that we ‘seemed to really enjoy what we do’, which I guess is kind of a backhanded compliment.
Synonyms
indirect, ambiguous, oblique, equivocal;
double-edged, two-edged;
tongue-in-cheek, sarcastic, ironic, sardonic
adverb
With the back of the hand or with the hand turned backwards: Ellwood hit him backhanded...
- Unfortunately, he doesn't have much range to his right, and he's horrible at fielding the ball backhanded.
- His stabbing was also done backhanded.
