handpick

verb

hand·​pick ˈhan(d)-ˈpik 

handpicked; handpicking; handpicks

transitive verb

1

: to pick by hand as opposed to a machine process

2

: to select personally or for personal ends

Synonyms

• cherry-pick
• choose
• cull
• elect
• name
• opt (for)
• pick
• prefer
• select
• single (out)
• tag
• take

Examples of handpick in a Sentence

They run a farm where you can handpick fresh strawberries.

a box of handpicked strawberries

The executive handpicked her successor.

Recent Examples on the Web

There’s no gender gap at highly selective private colleges where schools handpick 50/50 classes; at the highest rungs, men appear to be holding their own. —Ryan Craig, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2024

On farms, native workers might be supervisors or run high-tech equipment while immigrants handpick crops, Clemens said. —Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 28 Sep. 2024

July 31, 2024 The man who handpicks your nightmares July 30, 2024 NewsletterFridays Book Club Our weekly selection of book reviews and recommendations from Book World editor Ron Charles. —Ty Burr, Washington Post, 1 Aug. 2024

When San Benito County walnut grower John Swett took over his father’s orchard decades ago, 40 people were needed to handpick 20 acres. —Lisa M. Krieger, The Mercury News, 26 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1831, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

handpick

verb

hand·​pick ˈhan(d)-ˈpik 

: to select personally

a handpicked successor