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

But there are a handful that have scheduled trick-or-treat for Halloween, which is Thursday. —Amy Schwabe, Journal Sentinel, 31 Oct. 2024

As Different Winter Weather Pattern Emerges The Regulation Spectrum The majority of buy now, pay later companies have been around since the 2010s, and in that time, a handful of companies have dominated the market—think Klarna, Affirm or Afterpay. —Paul Marcantonio, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024

While much of it was caught on camera, there were a handful of dramatic moments that did not make the cut, leaving audiences full of questions. —Saman Shafiq, USA TODAY, 30 Oct. 2024

Team Sales There have been a handful of team transactions over the last year that showcase the surge in NHL team values. —Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 30 Oct. 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