handcuffed

ˈhændˌkʌft

Definition

Definition of handcuffed - Reverso English Dictionary

Adjective

restraintrestrained with handcuffs

The suspect was handcuffed and taken to the police station.

manacled

shackled

restrictionrestricted in action or movement

The new regulations left the company feeling handcuffed in its operations.

bound

restrained

shackled

Add a suggestion |

Feedback:

Origin of handcuffed

English, hand + cuff (fastening)

Examples of handcuffed in a sentence

She was found handcuffed to the railing.
The team felt handcuffed by the lack of resources.
She was handcuffed by her own fears.

View all translations of handcuffed

✨Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.

French:menotté, limité, ...
German:gefesselt, eingeschränkt, ...
Italian:ammanettato, limitato, ...
Spanish:esposado, limitado, ...
Portuguese:algemado, restrito, ...
Chinese:戴上手铐的, 受限制的, ...
Japanese:手錠をかけられた, 制限された, ...
Arabic:مُكَبَّل, مُقَيَّد, ...
Hebrew:אָזוּק, כָּבוּל, ...
Russian:в наручниках, ограниченный, ...
Ukrainian:в наручниках, обмежений, ...
Hindi:हथकड़ी लगा हुआ, सीमित, ...
Bengali:হাতকড়া পরানো, সীমাবদ্ধ, ...
Catalan:emmanillat, restringit, ...
Czech:spoutaný, svázaný, ...
Danish:i håndjern, begrænset, ...
Dutch:geboeid, beperkt, ...
Greek:χειροπεδημένος, περιορισμένος, ...
Hungarian:megbilincselt, megkötött, ...
Khmer:ជាប់ខ្នោះដៃ, ជាប់ខ្នោះ, ...
Korean:수갑이 채워진, 제한된, ...
Persian:دستبندزده, محدود شده, ...
Polish:skuty, ograniczony, ...
Portuguese (BR):algemado, limitado, ...
Romanian:încătușat, restricționat, ...
Swedish:handfängslad, begränsad, ...
Thai:ถูกใส่กุญแจมือ, ถูกจำกัด, ...
Turkish:kelepçeli, eli kolu bağlı, ...
Vietnamese:bị còng tay, bị hạn chế, ...

handcuff

ˈhændkʌf

Images

Definition of handcuff - Reverso English Dictionary

Noun

restraintmetal rings joined by a chain for wrists

The police officer secured the suspect with handcuffs.

figurative control

Rare

control or restraint in a metaphorical sense

Rare

He felt the handcuffs of corporate policy limiting his creativity..

constraint

restraint

restriction

Verb

tr.

restrain physicallyfasten someone's wrists together with handcuffs

The police officer decided to handcuff the suspect..

manacle

restrain

shackle

restrictrestrain or limit someone's actions or freedom

The new rules handcuff the team's creativity.

constrain

shackle

Add a suggestion |

Feedback:

Images of handcuff

metal rings joined by a chain for wrists

Origin of handcuff

Middle English, hand (hand) + cuff (covering)

Examples of handcuff in a sentence

The museum displayed antique handcuffs from the 1800s.
The handcuffs of tradition can be hard to break.
She struggled against the handcuffs of societal expectations.
The security guard had to handcuff the intruder.
They decided to handcuff the prisoner for transport.
The policy changes handcuff innovation.

Budget cuts handcuff the department's progress.

View all translations of handcuff

✨Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.

French:menottes, menotter, ...
German:Handschellen, fesseln, ...
Italian:manette, ammanettare, ...
Spanish:esposas, esposar, ...
Portuguese:algema, algemar, ...
Chinese:手铐, 戴上手铐, ...
Japanese:手錠, 手錠をかける, ...
Arabic:قَيْد, قَيَّدَ بِالأَصْفاد, ...
Hebrew:אֲזִיק, לֶאֱזוֹק, ...
Russian:наручники, надеть наручники, ...
Ukrainian:наручники, надягати наручники, ...
Hindi:हथकड़ी, हथकड़ी लगाना, ...
Bengali:হাতকড়া, হাতকড়া পরানো, ...
Catalan:manilla, emmanillar, ...
Czech:pouta, spoutat, ...
Danish:håndjern, lægge i håndjern, ...
Dutch:handboeien, boeien, ...
Greek:χειροπέδες, περνώ χειροπέδες σε, ...
Hungarian:bilincs, megbilincselni, ...
Khmer:ខ្នោះដៃ, ដាក់ខ្នោះដៃ, ...
Korean:수갑, 수갑을 채우다, ...
Persian:دستبند, دستبند زدن, ...
Polish:kajdanki, zakuć w kajdanki, ...
Portuguese (BR):algema, algemar, ...
Romanian:cătușe, a încătușa, ...
Swedish:handbojor, handfängsla, ...
Thai:กุญแจมือ, ใส่กุญแจมือ, ...
Turkish:kelepçe, kelepçelemek, ...
Vietnamese:còng tay, đeo còng tay, ...

Browse the dictionary entries starting with “h”:

Discover how Reverso redefines the dictionary

Go beyond “simple words”

100,000 expressions & idioms Understand any expression you come across: from corporate jargon like 💬 touch base or ↩️ circle back to everyday expressions such as 🌊 out of the blue or 🦆 lame duck, as well as idioms like 🍲 spill the beans and 🐎 hold your horses.

40,000 images When you search for a concrete noun or object, images help you grasp the meaning at a glance. Try searching for 🧵 puppytooth, 🎠 merry-go-round, ⚜️ fleur-de-lys, or 💤 bunk bed.

Informal language & slang Everyday conversations are packed with informal expressions and slang. Meanings are clearly tagged, so you'll always know when a word is casual. Look up hangry (😋 hungry + 😡 angry), 😎 rizz, 🕹️ noob, or 🔑 low-key.

Abbreviations & acronyms Quickly decode modern abbreviations and acronyms. Go from IDK to OMG in seconds and stay up to date with popular abbreviations such as 🐐 GOAT, 📜 tl;dr, 👀 POV, or 🖥️ AFK.

Regional usage (US / UK) Reverso highlights regional differences between American and British English. You’ll never have to wonder where a word is commonly used: try lift vs. elevator, courgette vs. zucchini, or popular British slang like dodgy or banter. What’s more, when you search for 'color', you’ll immediately see its British counterpart, 'colour'.

Get more than a simple definition

Translations for each meaning View translations alongside each meaning to see how a word is translated in each context. Simply toggle translations ON and choose among 25+ languages. You can also display the translation of definitions or examples into your native language to deepen your understanding.

Synonyms & related words by meaning View synonyms and related words for each meaning, not just for the word as a whole. This helps you choose the most accurate word for your context. Click the

icon to discover related terms: analogies, antonyms, common collocates, words with same roots, umbrella terms… Try with happening or hunch.

Multiple examples for every meaning Each meaning comes with three real-life examples to show you how the word is used in different contexts. Click the

icon next to the first example to see two additional options and learn to use new vocabulary naturally.

Go from understanding to mastery

Save words for later review Click the

icon to save words you want to revisit. You can also save a specific meaning by clicking on the

icon next to it. For example, you might want to save the word “table” as a verb, which means “to postpone”.

Practice with personalized flashcards Reverso automatically transforms your searches and saved words into personalized flashcards and quizzes, featuring high-quality audio and usage examples. This helps you transform terms you only recognize into words you actually use confidently.

Learn with Netflix, YouTube, and your favorite texts With Reverso Chrome extension, transform movies, TV shows, articles, or song lyrics into an interactive lesson. Look up words and expressions in one click on any website and learn with your favorite content.