handless

adjective

ˈhan(d)-ləs How to pronounce handless (audio)
Definition of handlessnext
as in clumsy
lacking or showing a lack of nimbleness in using one's hands she's far too handless to be good at needlework

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of handless Two brothers were arrested this week on murder charges in connection to a 1997 Michigan cold case in which a man's headless and handless body was found in a cornfield, authorities said. — Erin Pflaumer, CBS News, 26 Jan. 2023 Twenty-five years after authorities discovered a headless and handless man in a Michigan cornfield, arrests have been made in connection to the grisly murder. — Tristan Balagtas, Peoplemag, 26 Jan. 2023 Join us on deck for games such as handless doughnut eating, deadeye bowling and cauldron tossing. — Amy Schwabe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for handless
  1. clumsy
  2. awkward
Adjective
  • Vocals are surprisingly good, despite the show being a bit awkward and clumsy at times.
    — Talia McWright, Twin Cities, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Sneak away into the beyond—maybe this was a clumsy translation.
    — Emma Cline, New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of clumsy
Adjective
  • In addition, an awkward meeting between Ed and a smooth literary agent (Jake Lacy), along with a mini-subplot involving phone calls from Ed’s frustrated sister about their dying brother, come off slightly wedged in.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The awkward part of all this, though, is that Anthropic isn’t making money yet.
    — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of awkward

Browse Nearby Words

handles
handless
handling
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Handless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handless. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All