What does "handiwork" mean?

1. (manual work or craft) work done by hand rather than by a machine, often showing great skill. 2. (result of someone's actions) the result of someone's personal efforts or actions, whether good or bad.

handiwork — meaning, definition & examples

Word

01manual work or craft

B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun

n. work done by hand rather than by a machine, often showing great skill.

n. work performed by the hands; the physical manifestation of manual skill or craftsmanship.

“The intricate carvings on the wooden chest were clearly the handiwork of a master.”

“The museum curator pointed out the delicate handiwork on the eighteenth-century lace, noting that such precision is impossible for modern machines to replicate.”

Synonyms

craftsmanship handicraft

02result of someone's actions

B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun

n. the result of someone's personal efforts or actions, whether good or bad.

n. the result of an individual's personal influence or intervention, often used to attribute responsibility for a specific outcome.

“Looking at the messy room, she knew this was the handiwork of her toddler.”

“The detective surveyed the crime scene, convinced that the professional nature of the theft was the handiwork of a known international syndicate.”

Synonyms

doing creation achievement

From Middle English hondywerk, handiwerc, from Old English handġeweorc (“work done by hand, creation”), from hand (“hand”) + ġeweorc (“work”). Equivalent to hand + work, though it may now be reinterpreted as handy (“skilful”) + work. Compare Saterland Frisian Hondwierk, Dutch handwerk, German Handwerk.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

VERB

handcrafted(B2)

handle(B2)