single-handed

single-handed — adjective

1. done by a person who works completely alone, receiving no support or help from o

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

done by a person who works completely alone, receiving no support or help from other people

Example

Eitan built the entire bookshelf single-handed over the weekend.

predicative use after the noun

Saira ran her own café single-handed for more than ten years.

single-handed after a verb phrase

Synonyms
  • unaided

    more formal, often used in technical or medical contexts

  • solo

    common in music, sports, and aviation; suggests performance rather than work

  • unassisted

    neutral in register; common in sports statistics and medical records

Antonyms

Usage Note

Unlike 'alone', which can describe a temporary physical state, 'single-handed' emphasises the complete absence of assistance throughout an entire task.

Common Mistakes

He did the project single-handedly by his own.
He did the project single-handed.
'single-handed' already carries the meaning of independence; adding 'by his own' is redundant.

single-handed — adverb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe doing something without help, but they differ in nuance and context. 'Alone' is the broadest term and can refer simply to physical solitude rather than lack of assistance ('she sat alone in the garden'). 'Unaided' is more formal and is often used in medical, technical, or scientific writing ('the patient walked unaided after surgery'). 'Unassisted' shares this formal tone and appears frequently in sports statistics ('an unassisted triple play') and healthcare. 'Solo' carries a performative or adventurous flavour, common in music ('solo performance'), aviation ('solo flight'), and travel ('solo traveller'). 'Single-handed' differs from all of these by stressing the completion of a substantial task entirely through one person's effort, often implying that the task would normally require a team. For example, you would say 'she raised three children single-handed' but not 'she ate lunch single-handed' — the latter would simply be 'alone'.

unaided ↗solo ↗unassistedalone ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • completely single-handed

Phrases

  • do something single-handed
  • manage single-handed
  • accomplish single-handed

Etymology

English

The word 'single-handed' dates from the 16th century and originally referred literally to using only one hand (as in 'single-handed sword' meaning a one-handed weapon). By the 18th century it had shifted in meaning to describe a task done without help from other people, drawing a metaphor from the idea of using only one hand when both hands would normally be needed.