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Glite Dictionary
to have your hand out

to have your hand out

8.2
To ask for money or help without trying to earn it
  • phrasal verb
  • Informal
translation icon : pedir ayuda
  • Don't expect a promotion if you constantly have your hand out without contributing.

Examples

  • He always seems to have his hand out when it's time to pay for dinner.

  • She had her hand out for donations last week.

  • The charity is used to people having their hand out for support.

  • Don't always have your hand out for money!

  • He's always having his hand out for cash whenever we go out together.

  • You can't keep having your hand out for help without trying to earn it yourself.

  • She tends to have her hand out when there's a fundraiser at work.

Synonyms

to beg
vsto have your hand out
153 1.0

Ask someone humbly for money or food, often in public

expects money or help repeatedly, often without making effort
to hand out
vsto have your hand out
  • Informal
14 5.5

To ask people for money or help expecting to receive it

emphasizes repeated requests and expecting support without effort
to have one's hand out
vsto have your hand out
  • Informal
1 8.8

To ask people for money by showing you need it

has identical meaning but uses different grammatical person

Antonyms

independent
984 2.3

Not controlled by others

self-sufficient
33 3.9

Can live without help from other people

How Often

to have your hand out
  • Informal
8.2
to mooch
  • Informal
12 8.5
to panhandle
  • Informal
7 7.5
to beg
153 1.0

Surface Forms

have your hand out infinitive
had your hand out past
had your hand out past participle
having your hand out present participle
has your hand out third person singular

Morphology

have + your + hand + out

The expression evokes the literal gesture of holding a hand out to receive something, so a learner who knows 'hand' and 'out' may infer a request/receiving meaning; however the specific idiomatic sense of habitually asking for money or help (and the negative nuance of not making an effort) is not fully predictable from the parts. Because there is a clear metaphorical link but important pragmatic/idiomatic information that requires exposure, it should be classed as semi-transparent.

Etymology

The idiom have your hand out comes from the simple image of someone holding their hand out to receive money or food. So it means 'to ask for money or help', often again and again or without trying to earn it.