underhanded

1 of 2

adverb

un·​der·​hand·​ed ˌən-dər-ˈhan-dəd 

: underhand

underhanded

2 of 2

adjective

: marked by secrecy, chicanery, and deception : not honest and aboveboard : sly

an underhanded attempt to gain power

underhandedly adverb

underhandedness noun

Synonyms

Adjective

• bent [chiefly British]
• crooked
• deceptive
• dishonest
• double-dealing
• duplicitous
• fast
• fraudulent
• guileful
• rogue
• shady
• sharp
• shifty
• underhand

Choose the Right Synonym for underhanded

secret, covert, stealthy, furtive, clandestine, surreptitious, underhanded mean done without attracting observation.

secret implies concealment on any grounds for any motive.

met at a secret location

covert stresses the fact of not being open or declared.

covert intelligence operations

stealthy suggests taking pains to avoid being seen or heard especially in some misdoing.

the stealthy step of a burglar

furtive implies a sly or cautious stealthiness.

lovers exchanging furtive glances

clandestine implies secrecy usually for an evil, illicit, or unauthorized purpose and often emphasizes the fear of being discovered.

a clandestine meeting of conspirators

surreptitious applies to action or behavior done secretly often with skillful avoidance of detection and in violation of custom, law, or authority.

the surreptitious stockpiling of weapons

underhanded stresses fraud or deception.

an underhanded trick

Examples of underhanded in a Sentence

Adjective

the commercial is a part of an underhanded PR campaign to whitewash the company's environmental record

an underhanded attempt at infiltrating the other party's headquarters

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

From lobbing slow-motion, underhanded softballs of no public interest to failing to seek clarification for unintelligible tirades to ignoring or allowing falsehoods and blatant political spin, the interview serves less as a public service and more as a reminder of ... —Becket Adams, National Review, 12 Jan. 2025

Jones’ suit portrays this as a sudden departure with distinctly underhanded methods from the jump. —Dominic Patten, Deadline, 24 Dec. 2024

People can sneakily shape generative AI in ways that are atrocious, underhanded, and the like. —Lance Eliot, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024

At the time, many of the underhanded tactics were allowed, like commuting the sentence of an inmate who convinced Graham to offer payment for an alibi from a man who turned out to be an undercover officer. —Michael Ruiz, Fox News, 22 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

circa 1822, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1853, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

underhanded

adjective or adverb

un·​der·​hand·​ed

ˌən-dər-ˈhan-dəd

: underhand entry 1, underhand entry 2 sense 1

underhandedly adverb

underhandedness noun