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

Mack played only a handful of snaps because of a groin injury. —Elliott Teaford, Orange County Register, 10 Nov. 2024

But only a handful of jurisdictions are performing close to that level — typically smaller, wealthier cities with fewer miles of road to maintain. —Kate Talerico, The Mercury News, 9 Nov. 2024

While these spaces contained only a handful of struggling plants that likely sprouted from seeds dropped by birds, the gophers were allowed to do what gophers do best for 24 hours. —Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 7 Nov. 2024

Michigan, a battleground state that has helped determine the winner of the last four presidential elections, is considered one of a handful of swing states where both candidates focused their campaigns, hosting dozens of events. —Todd Spangler, Detroit Free Press, 6 Nov. 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