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 project is just one of a handful of off-campus student housing projects planned for the UCF area. —Tyler Williams, Orlando Sentinel, 18 June 2024

Portland, with multiple potential bidders, is the likely frontrunner to land one team, while the 16th franchise could land in a handful of cities. —Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 18 June 2024

Share Comment Save Barring a major shift in the political winds, the 2024 election will be decided by a subset of voters in a handful of swing states whose behavior is hard to predict. —Shelly Tan, Washington Post, 18 June 2024

Its awards-season titles rarely hit #1 and often chart for a handful of days. —Tom Brueggemann, IndieWire, 17 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