ENGLISH
REFERENCE

handcuffed

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈhændˌkəft// UK //hˈændkʌft// hand·cuffed

adj. having your hands tied together with metal rings so you cannot move them freely. You often see this when the police catch someone.

adj. restrained by metal rings locked around the wrists. Often used predicatively after a linking verb or as a participial adjective describing a person's state.


SIMPLE

The police led the handcuffed suspect to the car.

CONTEXTUAL

The suspect sat handcuffed in the back of the patrol car while the officers searched the premises.

COMPLEX

The image of the handcuffed executive being led through the lobby served as a powerful symbol of the company's sudden and public downfall.

Synonyms
Usage

Often follows linking verbs like 'remain' or 'sit'; can also be used as a past participle in passive constructions.

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