unhandy en · ADJ
Etymology
Etymology tree English un- Proto-Germanic *handuz Proto-West Germanic *handu Old English hand Middle English hond English hand Proto-Germanic *-j-, *-ij- Proto-West Germanic *-i, *-ī Old English -iġ Middle English -y English -y English handy English unhandy From un- + handy.
Meanings
-
Of a person, or movement: not handy; inept; clumsy; not dexterous.
Bradly collected Pippies; their trick vanishing was not too swift for his unhandy clutches.
1938, Norman Lindsay, Age of Consent, 1st Australian edition, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, published 1962, →OCLC, page 177:"Strike your father, eh?" Syed Omar launched an unhandy cuff, then another.
1959, Anthony Burgess, Beds in the East (The Malayan Trilogy), published 1972, page 514:
- Awkward; not convenient.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| unhandiest | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| unhandier | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |