Meanings
interjectionhands off!
alternative adjective hands-off
- informalRefrain from touching; refrain from initiating any physical contact.
- historicalnauticalCut off a hand: decreed by old admiralty law as punishment for pulling a knife during a fight with a shipmate.
adjectivehands off (comparative more hands off, superlative most hands off)
comparative more hands off · superlative most hands off · alternative adjective hands-off
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveTending not to interfere with the decisions and actions of other people (employees, subjects, etc.).
Opposite
Also see
Translations
Arabic اِرْفَعْ يَدَكَ, اِرْفَعي يَدَكِ
- اِرْفَعْ يَدَكَ (irfaʕ yadaka)don't touch!
- اِرْفَعي يَدَكِdon't touch!
- عَدَمُ ٱلتَّدَخُّلِ (ʕadamu t-tadaḵḵuli)not interfering with others' decisions and actions
Chinese Mandarin 勿動手！ /勿动手！, 不許碰！ /不许碰！
- 勿動手！ /勿动手！ (wù dòngshǒu!)don't touch!
- 不許碰！ /不许碰！ (bù xǔpèng!)don't touch!
- 放手的 (fàngshǒu de)not interfering with others' decisions and actions
- 不干涉的 (bùgānshè de)not interfering with others' decisions and actions
Czech ruce pryč!, nesahat!
- ruce pryč!don't touch!
- nesahat!don't touch!
Dutch afblijven!, niet aanraken!
- afblijven!don't touch!
- niet aanraken!don't touch!
- hand af!cut off a hand!
- laat maar doennot interfering with others' decisions and actions
Estonian käed eemale!, mittesekkumis
- käed eemale!don't touch!
- mittesekkumisnot interfering with others' decisions and actions
Finnish irti!, näpit irti!
- irti!don't touch!
- näpit irti!don't touch!
- puuttumatonnot interfering with others' decisions and actions
- sekaantumatonnot interfering with others' decisions and actions
French pas touche !, bas les pattes !
- pas touche !don't touch!
- bas les pattes !don't touch!
- laissez-fairenot interfering with others' decisions and actions
German Finger weg!, Hände weg!
- Finger weg!don't touch!
- Hände weg!don't touch!
- tun lassennot interfering with others' decisions and actions
Greek κάτω τα χέρια!
- κάτω τα χέρια! (káto ta chéria!)don't touch!
Hungarian el a kezekkel!, ne nyúlj hozzá!
- el a kezekkel!don't touch!
- ne nyúlj hozzá!don't touch!
Italian giù le mani!, giù le zampe!
- giù le mani!don't touch!
- giù le zampe!don't touch!
- lassistanot interfering with others' decisions and actions
- permissivonot interfering with others' decisions and actions
Japanese 触るな！, 傍観的
- 触るな！ (sawaru na!)don't touch!
- 傍観的 (bōkan-teki)not interfering with others' decisions and actions
Polish łapy precz, odciąć ręce
- łapy preczdon't touch!
- odciąć ręcecut off a hand!
- dający wolną rękęnot interfering with others' decisions and actions
Portuguese tira as mãos!, tira a mão!
- tira as mãos!don't touch!
- tira a mão!don't touch!
- de não interferência/envolvimentonot interfering with others' decisions and actions
- não-intervencionistanot interfering with others' decisions and actions
Russian ру́ки прочь!
- ру́ки прочь! (rúki pročʹ!)don't touch!
Spanish ¡saca las manos!
- ¡saca las manos!don't touch!
Swedish inte röra!, bort med händerna!
- inte röra!don't touch!
- bort med händerna!don't touch!
- bort med tassarna!don't touch!
Tamil தொடாதே!, தலையிடாத
- தொடாதே! (toṭātē!)don't touch!
- தலையிடாத (talaiyiṭāta)not interfering with others' decisions and actions
Cite this entry
APA
hands off. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hands%20off
MLA
“hands off.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hands%20off. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hands off,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hands%20off.
Source: hands off on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.