underhanded
16
7.2
- adjective
- /ˌʌndərˈhændɪd/
:
deshonesto
- Adam Schiff back then denounced attacks on the finding of Mueller as, quote, a very underhanded effort to besmirch his character.
- underhanded tactics
Last week, last year, I did something manipulative or something underhanded or something selfish.
- Last week, last year, I did something manipulative or something underhanded or something selfish.
- Evil, corruption and underhanded dealing must be eradicated from this earth.
- He used every underhanded method and then some in order to build his personal dictatorship.
- That the chief constable of Merseyside was perhaps being a bit underhand and not perhaps as forthright as she otherwise could have been.
- Inflationary monetary policy is the most, again, underhanded, pervasive and quiet way that the government screws over its citizens.
Examples
-
Even Germans who support the project were nevertheless angered by the underhanded tactics Google used to avoid public critique.
Academic text (2010) -
But the next morning, she learned that Jack had trapped her company in an underhanded business deal.
Fiction book (2000) -
If I had intended anything underhanded... I would hardly have brought you here to explain it to your face.
-
"People think car dealers do a lot of underhanded stuff.
Fiction book (2002) -
Giving us professional members no prior notice feels like a very underhanded, unethical move on your part.
Blog text (24) -
Kevin had suspected that Pashwah was up to something underhanded, but lacked proof.
Fiction book (2001) -
The company was accused of using underhanded tactics to eliminate its competition.
-
His underhanded methods in the negotiation process raised many eyebrows.
-
She uncovered the underhanded dealings that had been hidden from the public eye.
Synonyms
101
4.4
Acting in a secret way to avoid being noticed or to get an advantage
9
7.5
Done secretly to hide payments and avoid the law
Antonyms
How Dishonest
Surface Forms
Morphology
underhanded = underhand (semi-transparent) = under + hand + ed
The 'dishonest' sense is a figurative extension from the literal 'under' (hidden) + 'hand' and is not directly inferable for all learners.
Etymology
Underhanded also comes from the parts under and hand, and a helpful way to remember the figurative meaning is to think of doing something 'under the hand' out of view. That is why underhanded can describe actions that are secret or dishonest.