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 office has opened only a handful of new cases since the inauguration of President Donald Trump, and nearly all of them reflect his priorities. —Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica, 21 Feb. 2025

The order was just the first of a handful of Trump’s assaults on the transgender community and gender affirming care. —Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Feb. 2025

Having written extensively about smartphone pricing over the last two years, particularly Samsung’s deals, there are a handful of devices that repeatedly receive the best valuations. —Janhoi McGregor, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025

Mike was a genuine folk hero, and there are only a handful of those in all of sports broadcasting history. —Josh Yohe, The Athletic, 20 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

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

Rhymes for handful

• brimful
• mouthful
• roomful
• spoonful
• full
• pull
• wool

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