hand

limp

After the long illness, she could barely lift her limp hand from the bed.

clammy

After the exam, she wiped her clammy hands on her jeans nervously.

cool

She placed her cool hand on his forehead to check if he had a fever.

dirty, filthy, greasy, grubby, sticky, sweaty, unwashed

After playing in the mud, the children came inside with filthy hands that left marks on the walls.

open, outspread

He reached out with an open hand to help his friend up the stairs.

outstretched

The beggar sat on the corner with an outstretched hand, hoping for spare change.

free

She held the baby in one arm while writing notes with her free hand.

cupped

He caught the water in his cupped hands before it spilled onto the floor.

busy, deft

The chef's deft hands moved quickly across the cutting board, preparing the meal.

willing

We need willing hands to help paint the community center this weekend.

eager

The eager hands of volunteers quickly prepared meals for the homeless shelter.

steady

The photographer kept a steady hand while taking pictures of the tiny insects.

friendly, sympathetic

She reached out with a sympathetic hand when she saw her colleague crying at his desk.

generous, liberal

When serving dessert, my grandmother always gave us generous helpings with a generous hand.

take

The teacher took my hand and guided me through the crowded hallway.

hold, hold on to

The child held on to her father's hand as they crossed the busy street.

reach for

When she fell, I reached for her hand to help her up the stairs.

press, squeeze, touch

He gently squeezed her hand to show support during the difficult conversation.

shake

After the business meeting, the two managers shook hands and agreed to work together.

feel

She felt a cold hand grab hers as they walked through the dark corridor.

extend, hold out, put out, reach out

When I arrived at the party, my host reached out a hand to greet me warmly.

lay, place, press, put

She pressed her hand against the window to feel the cold glass.

slide

She slid her hand across the table to reach the salt shaker.

withdraw

When she realized the water was too hot, she quickly withdrew her hand from the sink.

hold up, lift, put up, raise, throw up

When the teacher asked who wanted to help, three children raised their hands eagerly.

spread

When the teacher asked who had finished the homework, only three students spread their hands.

clap

The audience clapped their hands enthusiastically when the pianist finished the difficult piece.

clasp, clench, rub, wring

After the difficult meeting, she clenched her hands nervously under the table.

beat

She beat her hands against the locked door, desperate to get someone's attention.

cup

She cupped her hands around her mouth to shout across the noisy street.

shake, tremble

His hands trembled nervously as he opened the letter from the university.

reach out, shoot out

When the child got lost in the crowd, her mother's hand reached out and pulled her to safety.

grope for sth, reach for sth, seek sth

She reached for her phone on the nightstand without opening her eyes.

find sth

In the dark hallway, she slowly moved forward until her hand found the doorknob.

catch sth, clamp, clasp sth, close around/on/round sth, fasten around/on/round sth, grab sth, grasp sth, seize sth

She grasped his hand tightly as they walked through the crowded market together.

claw (at) sth, pull sth, tug sth

She tugged at his sleeve to get his attention during the meeting.

brush (across/against) sth, caress sth, stroke sth, touch sth

She gently stroked the cat's soft fur while it purred in her lap.

creep, go, move, slide, slip, steal, stray

His hand slipped into his pocket to grab his phone during the meeting.

fly

His hand flew up to catch the falling glass before it hit the floor.

run over/through sth, trail

His fingers trailed across the bookshelf as he walked slowly down the library aisle.

freeze, still

When the doctor walked in, her trembling hand suddenly stilled on the keyboard.

hover, waver

Her trembling hand wavered as she tried to sign her name on the document.

lie, rest

She let her hand rest gently on the table while waiting for her coffee.

come down, descend, drop

Her hand came down gently on the child's head to comfort him.

lift, rise

His hand rose from the table as he wanted to ask a question.

cover sth

She quickly put her hand over her mouth to cover a yawn during the meeting.

baggage, luggage

I packed my passport and phone in my hand baggage before boarding the flight.

delivery

The courier arrived this morning with a hand delivery of important documents from the lawyer.

by ~

My grandmother prefers to knead the bread dough by hand rather than using a machine.

by ~s

The ancient pottery was carefully crafted by skilled hands over many centuries.

in your ~

The project is in your hands now, so please keep us updated on the progress.

on your ~

He wore a wedding band on his left hand during the ceremony.

with your ~

She wrote her name carefully with her right hand on the form.

fall into the wrong hands

The documents contained secret information, and everyone worried they might fall into the wrong hands.

get/keep/take your hands off sb/sth

My dad told me to get my hands off the car while he was washing it.

get/lay your hands on sth

She finally managed to get her hands on tickets for the sold-out concert.

hand in hand

The two children skipped hand in hand through the park on their way home.

hands on hips

The angry teacher stood before the class with her hands on hips, waiting for silence.

in safe hands

When she went on vacation, she left her plants in safe hands with her trusted neighbor.

on (your) hands and knees

The baby was on her hands and knees, crawling across the living room floor.

out of sb's hands

The final decision about hiring is completely out of the manager's hands now.

the palm of your hand

The magician made a coin disappear right in the palm of my hand.

run a hand/your hands over/through, etc. sth

Sarah ran her hands over the smooth wooden table, checking for splinters.

with your bare hands

She managed to fix the broken chair with her bare hands and some old wood glue.

give sb, lend (sb)

My friend gave me a hand painting the living room last weekend.

need

I needed a hand moving the sofa up the stairs yesterday.

strengthen

Winning the contract really strengthened our hand in negotiations with the supplier.

~ in

My brother had a hand in organizing the surprise party for our mother's birthday.

deal (sb)

Even though he worked hard, fate seemed to have dealt him a difficult hand in life.

formally, officially

The teacher formally handed out the exam papers to all the students in the classroom.

personally

The CEO decided to hand out the bonuses personally to each team member.

just, merely, simply

The teacher merely handed out the test papers without explaining the difficult questions.

grudgingly, reluctantly

Sarah reluctantly handed her phone to her mother during dinner.

back, in, out, over

The teacher handed back our test papers with comments written in red ink.

to

The teacher handed out assignment sheets to all the students at the beginning of class.