fistful

noun

fist·​ful ˈfist-ˌfu̇l How to pronounce fistful (audio)
1
: handful
a fistful of coins
2
: a considerable number or amount
a whole fistful of musiciansThomas Lask

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
To the side, women wailed, beating their chests or throwing fistfuls of rice and rose petals. Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2025 Multiple voices in one hand blended into fistfuls of color, and perplexing emphases on accompaniment figures served to distract, rather than elucidate, the musical argument. Luke Schulze, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2025 In a poor country like Russia, handing out fistfuls of rubles is the very definition of desperation. Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2025 The case started in 2020 when King’s campaign committee posted a version of the meme of Griner’s son, an 11-month-old with a determined look on his face, clenching a fistful of sand. Maureen Groppe, USA TODAY, 21 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fistful

Word History

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fistful was in 1611

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Cite this Entry

“Fistful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fistful. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.

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