hands down



hands down

easily; unquestionably. She won the contest hands down. They declared her the winner hands down.
See also: down, hand

hands down

very easily The last time we played tennis he beat me hands down. That leader is hands down the biggest threat to peace in the region.
Usage notes: often used in the form win something hands down: If there were an award for bad luck, you'd win it hands down.
Related vocabulary: hand down something
See also: down, hand

hands down

1. Also, in a breeze; in a walk. Easily, without effort, as in She won the election hands down, or They won in a breeze, 10-0, or The top players get through the first rounds of the tournament in a walk. All of these expressions originated in sports. Hands down, dating from the mid-1800s, comes from horse racing, where jockeys drop their hands downward and relax their hold when they are sure to win. In a breeze, first recorded in a baseball magazine in 1910, alludes to the rapid and easy passage of moving air; in a walk, also from baseball, alludes to taking a base on balls, that is, reaching first base without having hit a pitched ball because of the pitcher's mistakes.
2. Unquestionably, without a doubt, as in Hands down, it was the best thing I've ever done.
See also: down, hand

hands down

mod. easily; unquestionably. She won the contest hands down.
See also: down, hand

hands down

1. With no trouble; easily.
2. Indisputably; unquestionably.
See also: down, hand

Common Names:

NameGenderPronouncedUsage
Merry (1)MER-eeEnglish
Cleitus-Ancient Greek (Latinized)
JoonasYO:-nahsFinnish
Wynne (1)WINWelsh
Ilan-Hebrew
Peronel-English (Archaic)