handyman

[han-dee-man] / ˈhæn diˌmæn /

NOUN

jack-of-all-trades

Synonyms

STRONGEST

helper

WEAK

hired man man-of-all-work

Frequently Asked Questions

What is another word for handyman?

A handyman (plural handymen) is a person who can be hired to do various small jobs (often called odd jobs), especially in a home, apartment building, or office building. A similar word is repairman, and handymen are often hired to repair things, but they also offer other services, such as maintenance or small-scale construction or renovation. Handymen are known for doing any job that needs to be done and having experience and knowledge in many areas. For this reason, a handyman is often referred to as a jack-of-all-trades (the much less common man-of-all-work means the same thing). This often implies that they are generalists, rather than specialists in a particular area, such as plumbing or roofing.

What is a better, gender-neutral word for handyman?

Despite its use of man, the word handyman is often used regardless of gender. The term handyperson is a gender-neutral alternative, but it’s not commonly used. The term handywoman can be used to refer to a woman in this role. Handyman is the most common way of referring to such a person, and there aren’t common terms that mean the exact same thing. Handymen are often independent contractors, meaning they don’t work for a company but instead offer their services as part of their own business, so this is one potential alternative for the word handyman. Another is general contractor, though this may suggest someone who takes on larger projects.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

handyman handymen

He retired as a handyman a few years ago but passed the time caring for his aging partner, Vivian Lee Arguello, and doing odd jobs around the neighborhood to make ends meet.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026

"I was a gardener, a handyman, doing newspaper rounds at the beginning, also polishing floors in a pub," Dambrauskas said.

From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026

Black Point Beach Association has a handyman to maintain signs and locks; a warden monitors the beach to enforce its rules.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026

If you have to wait for a building superintendent or a handyman, an experience that is notoriously clock-agnostic, it’s no big deal to work from home that afternoon.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026

The next time I was in Cange, however, I asked Zanmi Lasante’s chief handyman, Ti Jean, what people were saying about the case.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French

Founder Kale Li told AFP she first became interested in the industry after becoming tired of dealing with inconsistently priced and unreliable handymen in southwestern Chengdu, where she lives.

From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026

She told the couple the company was "useless and expensive" and asked them to contact one of her handymen.

From BBC ● Apr. 27, 2024

Even as sales to "Pro-customers" - which includes professional builders, contractors and handymen - were positive in the reported quarter, the company is bracing for softer-than-expected demand for discretionary purchases, CEO Marvin Ellison said.

From Reuters ● May 23, 2023

Lentz identified the other victims shot near the McCain siblings as Charles Manuel, 76, and John Rorie, 59, who were both handymen.

From Washington Post ● Feb. 18, 2023

Farmers and maids, cooks and handymen, carpenters and all the children in town, made regular pilgrimages to the Store.

From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou

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