Adjacent Words

Underhand definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

UN'DERHAND, adv.
1. By secret means; in a clandestine manner.
2. By fraud; by fraudulent means.
UN'DERHAND, a. Secret; clandestine; usually implying meanness or fraud, or both. He obtained the place by underhand practices.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: with hand brought forward and up from below shoulder level; "an underhand pitch"; "an underhand stroke" [syn: underhand, underhanded, underarm] [ant: overarm, overhand, overhanded]
2: marked by deception; "achieved success in business only by underhand methods" [syn: sneaky, underhand, underhanded] adv
1: slyly and secretly; "Mean revenge, committed underhand"- John Donne; "oldline aristocratic diplomats underhandedly undermined the attempt...to align Germany with the Western democracies"- C.G.Bowers [syn: underhandedly, underhand]
2: with the hand swung below shoulder level; "throwing a ball underarm" [syn: underarm, underhand]

Merriam Webster's

I. adverb Date: 1538 1. a. in a clandestine manner b. archaic in a quiet or unobtrusive manner 2. with an underhand motion <bowl underhand> <pitch underhand> II. adjective Date: 1592 1. underhanded 2. done so as to evade notice 3. made with the hand brought forward and up from below the shoulder level <an underhand serve>

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. & adv. --adj. 1 secret, clandestine, not above-board. 2 deceptive, crafty. 3 Sport, esp. Cricket underarm. --adv. in an underhand manner. Etymology: OE (as UNDER-, HAND)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Underhand Un"der*hand`, a. 1. Secret; clandestine; hence, mean; unfair; fraudulent. --Addison. 2. (Baseball, Cricket, etc.) Done, as pitching, with the hand lower than the shoulder, or, as bowling, with the hand lower than elbow.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Underhand Un"der*hand`, adv. 1. By secret means; in a clandestine manner; hence, by fraud; unfairly. Such mean revenge, committed underhand. --Dryden. Baillie Macwheeble provided Janet, underhand, with meal for their maintenance. --Sir W. Scott. 2. (Baseball, Cricket, etc.) In an underhand manner; -- said of pitching or bowling.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

Note: in AM usually use, and in BRIT sometimes use 'underhanded' 1. If an action is underhand or if it is done in an underhand way, it is done secretly and dishonestly. ...underhand financial deals. ...a list of the underhanded ways in which their influence operates in the United States... Mr Livingstone accused the government of being underhand. ADJ: usu ADJ n [disapproval] 2. You use underhand or underhanded to describe actions, such as throwing a ball, in which you do not raise your arm above your shoulder. (AM) ...an underhanded pitch. ? overarm ADJ: ADJ n • Underhand is also an adverb. (in BRIT, use underarm) In softball, pitches are tossed underhand. ? overarm ADV: ADV after v

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. ad. 1. Secretly, privately, clandestinely, underhandedly, in a clandestine manner, by secret means. 2. Fraudulently, by fraudulent means, surreptitiously, unfairly. II. a. Secret, sly, clandestine, disingenuous, unfair, fraudulent, underhanded, surreptitious.

Moby Thesaurus

crafty, crooked, cunning, deceitful, devious, dishonest, duplicitous, furtive, guileful, hangdog, indirect, insidious, oblique, shifty, sly, sneaking, sneaky, tricky, underhanded, wily