English Vocabulary for learners
Expressions with 'HAND'
from: 'at hand'
to: 'win hands down'
| Expression | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| At hand | Within reach, available to you | Eva likes to have a dictionary at hand when she's writing. |
| By hand | By a person, not a machine | Our shoes are all made by hand. |
| On hand | Near, and ready to help if necessary | A medical team is on hand at all times. |
| Change hands | Pass from one owner to another | The house has changed hands many times since it was built. |
| Free hand | Have permission to make decisions | Tom was given a free hand to put a team together. |
| First hand | From the original source; direct or directly | We obtained the information first hand from the actor. |
| Second hand | Not new; originally owned by someone else | In my first job I bought a second-hand car. |
| Hand in hand | Closely connected or related | Poverty and violence often go hand in hand. |
| Hands full | Be very busy; have a lot to do | Meg has her hands full with three children. |
| Hands tied | Be prevented from taking action | He can't intervene; his hands are tied by an agreement. |
| Heavy hand | Act with discipline and severity | He ran the detention centre with a heavy hand. |
| Give/lend a hand | Help someone physically | That looks heavy. Let me give you a hand. |
| Hand in | Submit; present for acceptance | Alex handed in his resignation yesterday. |
| Out of hand | Go out of control | If the situation gets out of hand, call the police. |
| Upper hand | Have control of a situation. | The authorities claim to have the upper hand. |
| In safe hands | Be looked after by a reliable person | Your baby will be in safe hands with me. |
| Show of hands | Vote by raising a hand | Could we have a show of hands on that please? |
| Win hands down | Win easily, unquestionably | Emily won the competition hands down. |