fistful

noun

fist·​ful ˈfist-ˌfu̇l 

1

: handful

a fistful of coins

2

: a considerable number or amount

a whole fistful of musicians

—Thomas Lask

Synonyms

• abundance
• barrel
• basketful
• boatload
• bucket
• bunch
• bundle
• bushel
• carload
• chunk
• deal
• dozen
• gobs
• good deal
• heap
• hundred
• lashings [chiefly British]
• lashins
• loads
• lot
• mass
• mess
• mountain
• much
• multiplicity
• myriad
• oodles
• pack
• passel
• peck
• pile
• plateful
• plenitude
• plentitude
• plenty
• pot
• potful
• profusion
• quantity
• raft
• reams
• scads
• sheaf
• shipload
• sight
• slew
• spate
• stack
• store
• ton
• truckload
• volume
• wad
• wealth
• yard

Examples of fistful in a Sentence

She has won a fistful of awards.

repairing the roof is going to cost a fistful of money

Recent Examples on the Web

This led me to start exploring holistic treatments: acupuncture, fertility-boosting diets and supplements by the fistful. —Alex Zaragoza, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2024

That night in his Chevy, Coughlin took a fistful of pills and ended up in the hospital. —Megan O’Matz, ProPublica, 26 Sep. 2024

Usher came and went from the stage between fistfuls of songs, changing into a stream of new outfits to match the vibe of the tracks at hand. —Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 23 Sep. 2024

Malcolm Roach got away with grabbing a fistful of Bucky Irving’s facemask. —Matt Schubert, The Denver Post, 22 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1