Hand out meaning
Hand out means to give one to each person in a group. It can also mean to give advice, money or punishment, often too easily.
hand something out
hand out · handed · handing
The teacher handed out the test papers.
Hand out meanings and examples
2 meanings, each with its own CEFR level. A level marked ~ is our estimate: Oxford and Cambridge give none for that meaning.
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1
Give one to each person in a group
hand something out
- The teacher handed out the test papers.
- Volunteers were handing out free water at the race.
- I made cookies and handed them out at work.
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2
Give advice, money or punishment, often too easily
hand something out
- My uncle loves handing out advice nobody asked for.
- The judge handed out tough sentences to both men.
- Free loans? The bank doesn’t just hand them out to anyone.
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use hand out in real conversations
- Learn new words with picture cards
- Talk with Felix, an AI tutor, about the things you love
- Short lessons at your level, a few minutes a day
Is hand out separable?
Hand out is separable: hand out the leaflets or hand the leaflets out. With a pronoun, it goes in the middle: hand them out. Add to for the people: hand them out to the class.
The noun is one word, handout: a sheet of paper given in a class, or money given to people who need it.
Verb tenses for hand out
| Present | I hand out · she hands out |
|---|---|
| Past | handed out |
| Present perfect | have handed out |
| -ing form | handing out |
Common mistakes with hand out
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: Take these flyers and hand out them.
Right: Take these flyers and hand them out.
A pronoun goes between hand and out.
Wrong: She handed out the students the books.
Right: She handed out the books to the students.
Use to before the people who receive things.
Wrong: Please read the hand out before the lesson.
Right: Please read the handout before the lesson.
The noun is one word: handout.
Synonyms and opposites of hand out
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- give outthe same meaning, very close
- pass aroundgive something so each person takes one and passes it on
- distributethe formal word
Opposite
- hand ingive work back to the teacher or boss
- collecttake things back from each person
Hand out quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1At the door, two students were ___ free maps.
Hand out means give to each person.
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2Choose the right sentence.
Use hand out + thing + to + people.
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3“There’s a handout on the table for each of you.” What is it?
In a class or meeting, a handout is a printed sheet.
More phrasal verbs with hand
2 phrasal verbs start with hand. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.
Hand out FAQ
Questions people ask about hand out.
What is a handout?
A handout is a sheet of information given to people in a class or meeting. It can also mean money or food given to people who need it.
What is the difference between hand out and give out?
They mean almost the same. Give out also means stop working: My old laptop finally gave out.
What is the difference between hand out and hand in?
Hand out means give things to each person. Hand in means give your work to the person in charge.
Use hand out in real conversations
In Slova you learn new words with picture cards, then use them when you talk about the things you love. A few minutes a day, at your level.