Phrase guide

hands off

adj · intj · verb · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • UK: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Tending not to interfere with the decisions and actions of other people (employees, subjects, etc.).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • a hands-off policy

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: hands-on

2

intj

Meaning 2

Refrain from touching; refrain from initiating any physical contact.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

intj

Meaning 3

Cut off a hand: decreed by old admiralty law as punishment for pulling a knife during a fight with a shipmate.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: historical

Topics: nautical, transport

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

third-person singular simple present indicative of hand off

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, indicative, present, singular, third-person

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

56 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: عَدَمُ ٱلتَّدَخُّلِ (ʕadamu t-tadaḵḵuli) — not interfering with others' decisions and actions
  • Chinese Mandarin: 放手的 (fàngshǒu de) — not interfering with others' decisions and actions
  • Chinese Mandarin: 不干涉的 (bùgānshè de) — not interfering with others' decisions and actions
  • Dutch: laat maar doen — not interfering with others' decisions and actions
  • Estonian: mittesekkumis — not interfering with others' decisions and actions
  • Finnish: puuttumaton — not interfering with others' decisions and actions
  • Finnish: sekaantumaton — not interfering with others' decisions and actions
  • French: laissez-faire — not interfering with others' decisions and actions
  • German: tun lassen — not interfering with others' decisions and actions
  • Italian: lassista — not interfering with others' decisions and actions
  • Italian: permissivo — not interfering with others' decisions and actions
  • Japanese: 傍観的 (bōkan-teki) — not interfering with others' decisions and actions
  • Polish: dający wolną rękę — not interfering with others' decisions and actions
  • Portuguese: de não interferência/envolvimento — not interfering with others' decisions and actions
  • Portuguese: não-intervencionista — not interfering with others' decisions and actions
  • Tamil: தலையிடாத (talaiyiṭāta) — not interfering with others' decisions and actions
  • Albanian: mos prek! — don't touch!
  • Albanian: shporru! — don't touch!
  • Arabic: اِرْفَعْ يَدَكَ (irfaʕ yadaka) — don't touch!
  • Arabic: اِرْفَعي يَدَكِ — don't touch!
  • Arabic: قلع يدك (glaʕ yeddak) — don't touch!
  • Chinese Mandarin: 勿動手! /勿动手! (wù dòngshǒu!) — don't touch!
  • Chinese Mandarin: 不許碰! /不许碰! (bù xǔpèng!) — don't touch!
  • Czech: ruce pryč! — don't touch!
  • Czech: nesahat! — don't touch!
  • Dutch: afblijven! — don't touch!
  • Dutch: niet aanraken! — don't touch!
  • Estonian: käed eemale! — don't touch!
  • Finnish: irti! — don't touch!
  • Finnish: näpit irti! — don't touch!
  • French: pas touche ! — don't touch!
  • French: bas les pattes ! — don't touch!
  • German: Finger weg! — don't touch!
  • German: Hände weg! — don't touch!
  • Greek: κάτω τα χέρια! (káto ta chéria!) — don't touch!
  • Hungarian: el a kezekkel! — don't touch!
  • Hungarian: ne nyúlj hozzá! — don't touch!
  • Italian: giù le mani! — don't touch!
  • Italian: giù le zampe! — don't touch!
  • Japanese: 触るな! (sawaru na!) — don't touch!
  • Malayalam: തൊടരുത്! (toṭarutŭ!) — don't touch!
  • Polish: łapy precz — don't touch!
  • Portuguese: tira as mãos! — don't touch!
  • Portuguese: tira a mão! — don't touch!
  • Russian: ру́ки прочь! (rúki pročʹ!) — don't touch!
  • Serbo-Croatian: да̏ље руке! — don't touch!
  • Serbo-Croatian: не ди́рати! — don't touch!
  • Serbo-Croatian: dȁlje ruke! — don't touch!
  • Serbo-Croatian: ne dírati! — don't touch!
  • Spanish: ¡saca las manos! — don't touch!
  • Swedish: inte röra! — don't touch!
  • Swedish: bort med händerna! — don't touch!
  • Swedish: bort med tassarna! — don't touch!
  • Tamil: தொடாதே! (toṭātē!) — don't touch!
  • Dutch: hand af! — cut off a hand!
  • Polish: odciąć ręce — cut off a hand!