Openhanded

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Generous and willing to give freely without being stingy or reluctant
2. Showing generosity by giving freely and without hesitation
3. Displaying a willingness to share or donate abundantly

Etymology: "Openhanded" is about as transparent as English compounds get: "open" combined with "handed," the latter being an adjective formed from "hand." The image is simple and literal. An open hand is one that is not clenched around anything, so it is free to give, while a closed fist keeps what it holds. The sense of generosity grows naturally out of that picture of a hand that releases rather than grasps. The spelling without a hyphen, "openhanded," is an alternative to the hyphenated "open-handed," and both forms are in use. The compound follows a pattern that English uses often, pairing a word for a physical state with a word for a human quality, as in "close-fisted" for stingy, which uses the same contrast from the opposite side.

Synonyms: generous, liberal

Antonyms: stingy, miserly