English Reference
Noun

handyman

n.
B2 Upper Intermediate US /ˈhændiˌmæn/ UK /hˈændɪmən/ handy·man

n.a person who can fix many different things around a house, like plumbing, electricity, or furniture. You usually hire this person for small repairs that a professional might not do.

n.a person who performs various types of manual repair work, especially in a domestic setting. Often used to describe someone with general mechanical skills rather than a specialist tradesperson.


SIMPLE

I need to hire a handyman to fix the leaky faucet.

CONTEXTUAL

The landlord called a handyman to replace the broken lock on the front door before the new tenants moved in.

COMPLEX

While professional plumbers handle major infrastructure, a handyman is often the first person called for minor repairs that require a broad range of practical skills.


From handy + -man.

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

This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Occasional
Updated