What does handballing mean?
Handballing most commonly means the sport or activity of playing handball. It can function as a noun—“handballing keeps the whole class active”—or as the present participle of the verb, as in “They were handballing indoors when the storm began.” The word is useful when the emphasis is on the activity rather than on a person or a particular match. In informal, chiefly British usage, handballing also means striking or slapping someone with an open hand, a sense that appears in descriptions of physical confrontations and carries a more negative, sometimes threatening connotation. The sporting sense is neutral and international. Because the same form spans both a neutral activity and a rough physical action, context is important: a reference to a court, team, or match points toward sport, while a reference to a person being hit points toward the informal British sense. Overall, handballing is an ordinary derivative of handball, with a small but noteworthy slang extension.
The sport or activity of playing handball; in informal British English, the action of striking or slapping someone with an open hand.
"The council supports handballing clubs as part of its youth sports programme."
The sporting use is normally uncountable. The physical-striking sense is informal and chiefly British.
Playing handball; informally in British English, striking or slapping someone with an open hand.
"The players spent the second half handballing indoors."
Handballing as an activity is normally used as an uncountable noun and does not take a regular plural in ordinary usage.
"Handballing is popular among local schools."
Handballing is the activity, handball is the game—and in British slang, “handballing” can also mean a slap.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does handballing come from?
Handballing is an English compound built from hand and ball, both old inherited Germanic words, with the present-participle ending -ing. Handball long denoted a ball game played with the hands and now also names the modern team sport; adding -ing focuses attention on the activity of playing it. The informal sense of striking someone with an open hand develops from using handball as a verb. The related forms bowl, handle, and handy continue Germanic roots associated with ball and hand respectively.
Related word forms
How handballing is actually used
The sporting sense is neutral and specialized. The sense meaning striking or slapping someone is informal and chiefly British; in that use, “handballing someone” usually describes a blow delivered with an open hand.