Definition of hand

Short definition: The word hand means the part of your body you use to touch hold and feel things, but it can also mean helping someone giving something to them or being involved in an action in a simple and natural way.

Looking for a clear and natural explanation of the word hand? The word hand is one of the most common words in English and is used in many different ways. Sometimes it means the part of your body, sometimes it means help, control, or responsibility, and sometimes it appears in slang when people talk about power, skill, or experience. Because of this, hand is a simple word with many deep meanings in daily life. Below, each meaning is explained in a calm and natural way, so it feels real, human, and easy to understand.

Forms: hand, hands, handed, handing
Related: handy adj., handshake n.
Syllable: hand

1. (Noun) The part of your body at the end of your arm that you use to hold, touch, and do things.

   A hand is the body part with fingers and a thumb that you use every day to hold objects, write, eat, work, and communicate with gestures, making it one of the most important tools of the human body.

   She held the baby’s hand.
   He hurt his hand while playing football.
   Wash your hands before eating.

   Synonyms: palm, fingers, grip, hold, touch tool, body part, human limb, grasping part, working hand, writing hand, helping hand, steady hand
   Antonyms: foot, arm, leg, body part not used for holding, no hands, disability state, loss of grip, weakness, helplessness, clumsiness, poor control, no control

2. (Noun) Help or support that someone gives to another person.

   A hand can also mean help, such as when someone gives you a hand with heavy work, difficult tasks, or emotional support when you need encouragement.

   Can you give me a hand with these boxes?
   She always offers a hand when someone needs help.
   Thanks for lending a hand today.

   Synonyms: help, support, assistance, aid, favor, helping effort, backup, cooperation, teamwork, helping act, kind act, support role
   Antonyms: refusal, neglect, ignoring, no help, abandonment, rejection, lack of support, selfishness, indifference, turning away, no assistance, disinterest

3. (Noun) Control, responsibility, or power over a situation.

   Hand can describe who is in charge, like when something is in your hands, meaning you are responsible for what happens next.

   The decision is now in your hands.
   The project is in safe hands.
   The company changed hands last year.

   Synonyms: control, power, authority, responsibility, charge, command, management, leadership, supervision, direction, ownership, influence
   Antonyms: powerlessness, loss of control, weakness, no authority, helplessness, lack of direction, confusion, disorder, chaos, mismanagement, neglect, irresponsibility

4. (Verb) To give or pass something to another person.

   To hand something means to give it directly to someone, like handing over a document, money, or a gift.

   Please hand me the keys.
   She handed the letter to him.
   He handed over the report.

   Synonyms: give, pass, deliver, transfer, offer, provide, hand over, present, supply, share, pass along, send
   Antonyms: keep, hold back, take away, remove, steal, hide, refuse to give, withhold, deny, grab, snatch, keep to yourself

5. (Noun) Skill or way of doing something, especially in work or creativity.

   Hand can describe skill, such as having a good hand at cooking, drawing, or fixing things, meaning you are talented at doing that activity.

   She has a great hand at baking.
   He is an old hand at this job.
   With a steady hand, he painted the details.

   Synonyms: skill, talent, ability, experience, technique, craftsmanship, expertise, practice, know-how, steady touch, professional touch, trained hand
   Antonyms: inexperience, clumsiness, lack of skill, poor ability, weakness, amateur work, no talent, bad technique, shaky hand, poor control, incompetence, awkwardness

6. (Slang) Respect, applause, or praise for someone’s action or success.

   In slang, people use hand in expressions like “give him a hand” to mean showing respect, clapping, or praising someone for doing something well.

   Give her a hand for that amazing speech.
   Let’s give the team a big hand.
   He really deserves a hand for his hard work.

   Synonyms: applause, praise, respect, recognition, claps, appreciation, shout out, credit, admiration, big cheer, approval, honor
   Antonyms: criticism, blame, disrespect, booing, rejection, disapproval, negative feedback, insult, put down, mockery, lack of respect, silence

7. (Slang) Involvement in something, especially when talking about responsibility for a result.

   People sometimes say someone had a hand in something to mean they were involved in making it happen, whether in a good or bad way.

   She had a hand in organizing the event.
   He had no hand in the decision.
   They all had a hand in the project’s success.

   Synonyms: involvement, role, part, contribution, participation, input, influence, share, responsibility, cooperation, teamwork, engagement
   Antonyms: no involvement, distance, detachment, no role, separation, absence, nonparticipation, no input, isolation, lack of part, no influence, staying out