Standard Lemma guide

handyman

noun · verb · 3 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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈhændimæn/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: HH AE1 N D IY0 M AE2 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A person who does small tasks and odd jobs, especially building repairs and the like.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal

Examples

  • I complained that the heat was not working, and the landlord sent the handyman to fix it.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: odd-job man

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To work as a handyman; to do odd jobs.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal, intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

a man skilled in various odd jobs and other small tasks

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: jack of all trades, odd-job man

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: repairman, maintenance man, service man

History

Etymology

Etymology tree 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 Proto-Indo-European *mon- Proto-Germanic *mann- Proto-West Germanic *mann Old English mann Middle English man Middle English -man English -man English handyman From handy + -man.

Across languages

Translations

38 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: момче за всичко (momče za vsičko) — man who does odd tasks
  • Chinese Mandarin: 勤雜工 /勤杂工 — man who does odd tasks
  • Chinese Mandarin: 雜務工 /杂务工 — man who does odd tasks
  • Czech: údržbář — man who does odd tasks
  • Danish: altmuligmand — man who does odd tasks
  • Dutch: manusje-van-alles — man who does odd tasks
  • Estonian: meistrimees — man who does odd tasks
  • Finnish: yleismies — man who does odd tasks
  • Finnish: nikkari — man who does odd tasks
  • French: homme à tout faire — man who does odd tasks
  • French: bricoleur — man who does odd tasks
  • German: Mädchen für alles — man who does odd tasks
  • German: Heimwerker — man who does odd tasks
  • German: Hausmeister — man who does odd tasks
  • German: Handwerker — man who does odd tasks
  • German: Reparateur — man who does odd tasks
  • German: Handlanger — man who does odd tasks
  • Hebrew: תיקונצ׳יק — man who does odd tasks
  • Italian: tuttofare — man who does odd tasks
  • Japanese: 便利屋 (benriya) — man who does odd tasks
  • Kabuverdianu: buldonhe — man who does odd tasks
  • Norwegian Bokmål: altmuligmann — man who does odd tasks
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: altmogelegmann — man who does odd tasks
  • Occitan: totòbra — man who does odd tasks
  • Polish: złota rączka — man who does odd tasks
  • Polish: majster-klepka — man who does odd tasks
  • Portuguese: faz-tudo — man who does odd tasks
  • Russian: умелец (umelec) — man who does odd tasks
  • Russian: мастер на все руки (master na vse ruki) — man who does odd tasks
  • Russian: разнорабочий (raznorabočij) — man who does odd tasks
  • Spanish: manitas — man who does odd tasks
  • Spanish: todólogo — man who does odd tasks
  • Spanish: hacelotodo — man who does odd tasks
  • Spanish: mentolato — man who does odd tasks
  • Spanish: milusos — man who does odd tasks
  • Swedish: hantlangare — man who does odd tasks
  • Turkish: tamirci — man who does odd tasks
  • Ottoman Turkish: تعمیرجی (taʼmirci) — man who does odd tasks
Real reading context

handyman in complete knowledge articles