Backhanded — Back hand ed, a. 1. With the hand turned backward; as, a backhanded blow. [1913 Webster] 2. Indirect; awkward; insincere; sarcastic; as, a backhanded compliment. [1913 Webster] 3. Turned back, or inclining to the left; as, backhanded letters.… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
backhanded — [bak′han΄did] adj. 1. BACKHAND 2. expressing or expressed in an indirect or sarcastic way; not sincere; equivocal [a backhanded compliment] 3. Sports performed by backhanding the ball [a backhanded catch] adv. with a backhand … English World dictionary
backhanded — ack hand ed, a. & adv. (Sport) Stroked with a backhand[2]; as, a backhanded drive. [PJC] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
backhanded — ► ADJECTIVE 1) made with the back of the hand facing in the direction of movement. 2) indirect or ambiguous: a backhanded compliment … English terms dictionary
backhanded — index indirect, oblique (evasive) Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 … Law dictionary
backhanded — [adj] underhanded ambiguous, double edged, equivocal, sarcastic, sardonic, two edged; concepts 401,544 … New thesaurus
backhanded — [[t]bæ̱khæ̱ndɪd, AM hændɪd[/t]] also back handed 1) ADJ: ADJ n A backhanded compliment is a remark which seems to be an insult but could also be understood as a compliment. A backhanded compliment is also a remark which seems to be a compliment… … English dictionary
backhanded — back•hand•ed [[t]ˈbækˌhæn dɪd[/t]] adj. 1) performed with the back of the hand turned or facing forward: a backhanded stroke[/ex] 2) sloping in a downward direction from left to right: backhanded writing[/ex] 3) oblique or ambiguous in meaning: a … From formal English to slang
backhanded — adjective 1 a backhanded remark or compliment 1 (1) seems to express praise or admiration but in fact means the opposite: Brave can be a backhanded way of saying crazy . 2 a backhanded shot etc is made with a backhand … Longman dictionary of contemporary English
backhanded — adjective a) With the hand turned backward. a backhanded blow b) Indirect; awkward; insincere; sarcastic. a backhanded compliment … Wiktionary
