A backhand is a way of hitting or throwing something where the back of your hand faces the direction you're aiming, instead of your palm. In tennis, a backhand stroke means swinging the racket across your body with the back of your hand leading the way. The same motion works in ping-pong, badminton, and other racket sports.

The word has a sneakier meaning too: a backhanded compliment sounds nice at first but actually contains an insult. If someone says, “Your project is surprisingly good for how little effort you put in,” that's backhanded. They seem to be praising you, but they're really suggesting you're lazy or usually do poor work. These comments twist like a backhand swing, coming at you from an unexpected angle.

In sports, backhand shots are often harder to master than forehand ones because the motion feels less natural. Many tennis players spend years developing a strong backhand to match their forehand.