handful

noun

hand·​ful ˈhan(d)-ˌfu̇l 

plural handfuls ˈhan(d)-ˌfu̇lz  also handsful ˈhan(d)z-ˌfu̇l 

1

: as much or as many as the hand will grasp

2

: a small quantity or number

a handful of people

3

: as much as one can manage

the kids are quite a handful

Synonyms

• couple
• few
• scatter
• scattering
• smatter
• smattering
• sprinkle
• sprinkling

Examples of handful in a Sentence

The children collected seashells by the handful.

Our dog is a real handful.

Recent Examples on the Web

The staff swears by its checklist of how to please patrons, a handful of to-dos that have sent diners home happy. —Allana Haynes, Baltimore Sun, 27 June 2024

This is just one example of a handful of Gucci bamboo bags floating around eBay right now. —By Megan O'Sullivan, Vogue, 27 June 2024

The report follows a Senate committee investigation that revealed children are subjected to abuse in foster care facilities around the country that are operated by a handful of large, for-profit companies and financed by taxpayers. —Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 27 June 2024

Rivian’s architecture would collapse the dozens of different ECUs Volkswagen employs in most cases into a handful, minimizing the amount of wiring and cables that need to be installed while dramatically reducing complexity and cost. —Alena Botros, Fortune, 26 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

handful

noun

hand·​ful ˈhan(d)-ˌfu̇l 

plural handfuls -ˌfu̇lz  also handsful ˈhan(d)z-ˌfu̇l 

1

: as much or as many as the hand will grasp

a handful of jelly beans

2

: a small quantity or number

a handful of people

3

: as much as one can control or manage

the three babies are quite a handful