Die woordeboekbetekenis van die woord "behendig" is om vaardigheid te hê of te toon, veral met die hande; vaardig en bekwaam met fisiese bewegings of aksies. Sinonieme van behendig sluit in behendigheid, bedrewe, flink, behendig en vaardig. Die woord word dikwels gebruik om mense te beskryf wat in staat is om take wat handmatige of fisiese vaardigheid vereis met gemak en akkuraatheid uit te voer.
1. Never had the crew seen so jolly and dexterous a fellow.
2. My mistress had a daughter of nine years old, a child of forward parts for her age, very dexterous at her needle, and skillful in dressing her baby.
3. And although they are dexterous enough upon a piece of paper, in the management of the rule, the pencil, and the divider, yet in the common actions and behavior of life, I have not seen a more clumsy, awkward, and unhandy people, nor so slow and perplexed in their conceptions upon all other subjects, except those of mathematics and music.
4. This might be done by first agreeing and settling among themselves what suspected persons shall be accused of a plot then, effectual care being taken to secure all their letters and papers, and the criminal placed in secure custody, these papers might be delivered to a set of artists sufficiently dexterous to find out the mysterious meanings of words, syllables, and letters.
5. Its forearms had dexterous claws that it seemed to use like fingers.
6. With a few outlandishly dexterous movements of her hands, she drew on the power of the ground around her.
7. He examined the bullets with which Monte Cristo performed this dexterous feat, and saw that they were no larger than buckshot.
8. He was famed for great knowledge and skill in horsemanship, being as dexterous on horseback as a Tartar.
9. All the buildings and trees seemed easily practicable to such dexterous climbers as the Morlocks, to judge by their wells, must be.