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Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
backhanded
adjective
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪ Aristocratic criticism of royal rapacity was a backhanded tribute to that success.
▪ He was right in a backhanded sort of way.
▪ It is a backhanded note of dismissal, an explanation that is really an excuse.
▪ The data might be read as a backhanded success for the Thatcher government.
▪ The first crisis was a backhanded present from Yeltsin himself.
▪ This backhanded compliment is, in fact, a tribute to the imagination and commitment of community educators.
The Collaborative International Dictionary
backhanded

backhanded \back"hand`ed\, a. & adv. (Sport) Stroked with a backhand[2]; as, a backhanded drive.

Wiktionary
backhanded
  1. 1 With the back of the hand. 2 Involving a backward flip of the hand. 3 insincere, sarcastic, ironic, or self-contradictory. 4 indirect. 5 backwards, turned around. 6 (context of writing English) inclining to the left 7 retrospective, occurring after the fact rather than in advance. 8 self-serving, corrupt, slipshod, or neglectful. adv. In a backhanded manner. v

  2. (en-past of: backhand)

WordNet
backhanded
  1. adj. (of racket strokes) made across the body with back of hand facing direction of stroke [syn: backhand(a)] [ant: forehand(a)]

  2. roundabout or ambiguous; "attacks from tht source amounted to a backhanded compliment to his integrity"; "a backhanded and dishonest way of reaching his goal"

Usage examples of "backhanded".

With a fist clenched tightly around his pride, Aidan backhanded his little brother to the ground.

There is a sort of backhanded admission of this in the dislike which nearly all foreigners feel for our national way of life.

His fellow passengers laugh as the golf cart overturns on a slope and the woman skids down after it, her arm slowly raising to deliver a backhanded slash.

The goon stepped in front of Indy and backhanded him twice across the face.

He lumbered back across the feast hall, slashing backhanded behind him twice on the way, and mounted the stairs where Tarthane lay crumpled and the tapestry was rippling slowly and wearily.

He backhanded her almost casually, and the strength of the blow threw her backwards.

Endre said, and Kelyn heard nothing else, for Atelic's powerful backhanded blow came from nowhere, knocking her from her feet.

Her embryonic professionalism made her rather paranoid and she immediately misconstrued Berman's comment, which was meant as a backhanded compliment.

Had he considered it, he might have realized that their position was a form of backhanded compliment, a decision based on the fact that their commanders considered his regiment steady enough to be entrusted with responsibility for holding such an exposed and critical position.

Tinker had learned all the levels of Lain's praise, from the scathing backhanded compliment for a job sloppily done, to the Mona Lisa smile and swat for a clever but naughty act.

She went to it, climbed in, and was about to hand Ben a backhanded compliment on gallantry when she saw that he was not inside.

The girl doesn't realize it, but she just got a backhanded compliment in that insult.

Grave Digger backhanded with the same motion that tapped Roman on the head and hit his right knee cap.

No, if Queriman was a servant, the Count would've backhanded him instead of speaking.

With a quick backhanded slap, I stopped the gillette's strugglings, then rolled off his chest and sat with my back to the wall.