forehand

1 of 3

noun

fore·​hand ˈfȯr-ˌhand 

1

archaic : superior position : advantage

2

: the part of a horse that is before the rider

3

: a forehand stroke (as in tennis or racquets)

also : the side on which such strokes are made

Illustration of forehand

• forehand 3

forehand

2 of 3

adjective

1

obsolete : done or given in advance : prior

2

: made with the palm of the hand turned in the direction in which the hand is moving

a forehand tennis stroke

forehand

3 of 3

adverb

: with a forehand stroke

Examples of forehand in a Sentence

Noun

She hit a forehand across the court.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Navarro obtained the break in the seventh game of the second set, hitting a forehand down the line on the run for a 4-3 advantage. —Jill Martin, CNN, 2 Sep. 2024

Nadal, a natural right-hander, switched to playing tennis left-handed and the rest is the lassoing forehand of history. —Guillermo Rai, The Athletic, 25 Nov. 2024

Adjective

Zheng’s forehand response to Sabalenka’s forehand was often late, and there were times when Sabalenka’s inside-out forehand to Zheng’s backhand seemed to knock the racquet from her grip. —Gerald Marzorati, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2024

Alone in front of Shesterkin (20 saves), Nosek went forehand-backhand and slipped the puck past the netminder’s left pad. —Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 4 Mar. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1557, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1599, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

1925, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

forehand

noun

fore·​hand

-ˌhand

: a stroke made with the palm of the hand turned in the direction in which the hand is moving

forehand adverb or adjective