Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

have one's hand out

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.34 in modern English

Syllables: have one's hand out
IPA

25

Scrabble Score

15

Letters

1

Syllables

10

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To request benefits, especially monetary ones and especially if not entitled to them.

Example Sentences

"Whenever there was an appropriations bill, he always had his hand out for his guys."
"Mr. Lombardo told him Union City “was probably the most graft‐ridden community in New Jersey—everybody had their hand out.”"
""Everybody wanted my money. Everybody had their hand out.""
"Chung described Ashe as a predator, seeking money at every turn. “He had his hand out constantly,” she said."

Etymology

An allusion to the beseeching manner and typical gesture of a beggar.

Inflected Forms

has one's hand out (present, singular) having one's hand out (participle, present) had one's hand out (participle, past) had one's hand out (past)

Frequently Paired Words

handout

Questions

What does have one's hand out mean?: To request benefits, especially monetary ones and especially if not entitled to them.
Where does have one's hand out come from?: An allusion to the beseeching manner and typical gesture of a beggar.

How to pronounce have one's hand out

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “have one's hand out”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “have one's hand out”.
Repeat and practice — Say “have one's hand out” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.