wieldy
UK /ˈwiːldi/ · US /ˈwildi/ adjective
Forms wieldier wieldiest
- adjective (obsolete except UK, dialectal) Able to wield one's body well; active, dexterous.
- adjective (chiefly in the negative) Capable of being easily wielded or managed; handy.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology
From Middle English weeldy, weldy (“agile, vigorous; of a shield: easy or satisfying to wield”), from welden (“to govern, preside over, reign, rule; to command, control, dominate; to dwell, reside; to accomplish, bring about; to overcome, prevail; to handle (a tool, weapon, etc.), use”). By surface analysis, wield + -y. Compare also Old English ġewielde (“controlling, dominant”), from Proto-West Germanic *waldī, from Proto-Germanic *waldiz (“manageable; powerful”), possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂welh₁- (“to rule; powerful, strong”). Later uses of sense 2 (“capable of being easily wielded”) are likely a back-formation from unwieldy.
Webster’s 1913
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “wieldy”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details