What does backhand mean?
The word 'backhand' refers most familiarly to a stroke used in tennis and other racket sports, executed by swinging the racket across the body with the back of the hand facing the net — the mirror image of the forehand. In ice hockey, it likewise denotes a shot taken from the opposite side of a player's natural stick position. Beyond sport, 'backhand' can describe a blow delivered with the back of the hand, historically a gesture of contempt or violence, and it once referred to handwriting slanting leftward, away from the usual rightward slope of cursive script. The related adjective 'backhanded' has developed a distinctly figurative meaning: something said indirectly or ironically, as in 'a backhanded compliment,' where praise conceals an insult. Versatile across literal and figurative registers, the word captures both a precise athletic technique and a broader sense of indirection, making it equally at home on the court and in conversation about human motives.
A stroke in tennis, badminton, or another racket sport made with the back of the hand facing forward; also a blow delivered with the back of the hand, or leftward-slanting handwriting.
"Her backhand down the line caught her opponent off guard."
In sporting contexts the term is neutral and technical; in older usage, a 'backhand' blow implied disrespect or violence.
To strike with a backhand motion or blow.
"He backhanded the puck into the top corner of the net."
Used mainly when counting multiple strokes or blows, e.g. in match statistics or descriptions of play.
"The rally ended after three backhands and a drop shot."
In tennis, the backhand was long considered the weak side — until players like Novak Djokovic turned it into one of the most feared weapons in the sport.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of backhand
The word 'backhand' arose in English through straightforward compounding of 'back' and 'hand,' first appearing in the sixteenth century in reference to blows struck with the back of the hand. Its use in racket sports developed later, as tennis and its precursors formalized terminology for different strokes. The compound's transparency — built entirely from native English roots rather than borrowed Latin or Greek material — means it has no classical cognates, though it shares its constituent elements ('back' and 'hand') with countless other English words such as 'forehand,' 'beforehand,' and 'handful.'
How backhand is actually used
Most common in sports contexts, especially tennis. The verb form 'to backhand' is chiefly used in hockey and informal speech. As an adjective, 'backhanded' carries connotations of indirectness or insincerity, which differs subtly from the neutral sporting sense of 'backhand' itself.
Easily confused with backhand
'Backhand' is a noun referring to a type of stroke or blow, while 'backhanded' is an adjective describing something done indirectly or ironically, as in 'a backhanded compliment.'