Cack-handed

adj

adj ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Clumsy; inept.

    "Constance endeavoured to get eight little boys to dance also; but the little lads were to shy, what an old woman, speaking of her grandson, calls “too daffish and keck-handed to learn such aunty-praunty antics,” and all that Constance could get in the way of male support was to induce eight little lads to look on, bend their knees, and bow at intervals, whilst the maidens sang and danced."

  2. 2
    Left-handed.

    "A left-handed child would be held up to ridicule, and the hand tied to prevent its use. In some parts of England left-handers are called “cack-handed” […]"

  3. 3
    Back-handed.

Example

More examples

""Didn't I tell you to be careful? You've gone and creased my book now!" "Sorry, Mary. You know how cack-handed I am." "Yes, Tom. You've proved it to me again!""

Etymology

From cag (“knob, stump”) + handed; cf. also cack (“excrement”).

Related phrases

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.