ham-fisted
/ˈhæmˌfɪstɪd/
"ham-fisted" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“ham-fisted” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 10
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Lacking skill in physical movement with the hands; clumsy.
Corpus desk
Index EN-ham-fisted · ham-fisted · English
ham-fisted · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-MEGA 10 letters
- VOW-3 3 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "H" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern
Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | ham-fisted |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adjective |
| IPA | /ˈhæmˌfɪstɪd/ |
| Letters | 10 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “ham-fisted” in English
Rare enough to double-check
ham-fisted is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈhæmˌfɪstɪd/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.
No generated misspelling entries exist for ham-fisted in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: From ham (“thigh and buttock of an animal slaughtered for meat”) + fisted (adjective), probably referring to someone being clumsy as if they have hams at the end of their arms instead of hands. The correct English form is ham-fisted, spelled H-A-M---F-I-S-T-E-D.
Definition
- 1Lacking skill in physical movement with the hands; clumsy.
- 2Lacking skill in general; incompetent.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how ham-fisted appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
"God damn and blast all you hamfisted yokels!" he was saying. "And you, sir, down there. Take that grin off your face and be more careful, or I'll have you clapped under hatches to sail with us today. Easy, there, easy! Christ, rum at seven guineas an anker isn't meant to be dropped like pig iron!"
[Stephen] Harper has a few weeks' grace, during which he and his ham-fisted finance minister, Jim Flaherty, can ponder the error of their ways.
Etymology
From ham (“thigh and buttock of an animal slaughtered for meat”) + fisted (adjective), probably referring to someone being clumsy as if they have hams at the end of their arms instead of hands.
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.