single-handed

adjective

Without help from others; unassisted.

“I've been holding my family together single-handed.”

Meanings

adjectivesingle-handed (not comparable)

alternative single handed · alternative singlehanded

  1. not comparableWithout help from others; unassisted.
    1 more example

    It worked through from Swindon with a test train of 16 coaches and the new W.R. dynamometer car, the whole totalling 571 tons; this is one of the heaviest trains ever worked by a single-handed locomotive over the South Devon banks—in fact, it was competently restarted from a test stop on Dainton bank.

    1962 April, “Motive power miscellany: Western Region”, in Modern Railways, page 280
  2. not comparableUsing only one hand.
  3. not comparableDesigned for only one hand.
adverbsingle-handed (not comparable)

alternative single handed · alternative singlehanded

  1. not comparableIn a single-handed manner.

    I've been holding my family together single-handed.

    1 more example

    "Got those [sc. scars] with a broken bottle, arresting two toughs at once," he said, replacing his cap. "Run them in single-handed and had a set-to in the cell with them on top of it."

    1938, Norman Lindsay, Age of Consent, 1st Australian edition, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, published 1962, →OCLC, page 21

    Synonyms: by oneself

verb

alternative single handed · alternative singlehanded

  1. participlepastsimple past and past participle of single-hand

Synonyms & antonyms

adverbIn a single-handed manner.

Similar

More synonyms by meaning

adjectiveunsupported by other people

adjectivewithout help from others

adverbwithout assistance

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Translations

Bulgarian без чужда помощ, с една ръка
  • без чужда помощ (bez čužda pomošt)without help from others; unassisted
  • с една ръка (s edna răka)using only one hand
Chinese Mandarin 獨力 /独力, 獨力 /独力
  • 獨力 /独力 (dúlì)without help from others; unassisted
  • 獨力 /独力 (dúlì)in a single-handed manner
Irish dólámhach
  • dólámhachwithout help from others; unassisted
Italian in solitaria
  • in solitariawithout help from others; unassisted
Swedish enmans-, enhands-
  • enmans-without help from others; unassisted
  • enhands-using only one hand
  • på egen handin a single-handed manner
  • egenhändigtin a single-handed manner
Cite this entry
APA

single-handed. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/single-handed

MLA

“single-handed.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/single-handed. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “single-handed,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/single-handed.

Source: single-handed on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.