handful

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noun hand·ful \ˈhan(d)-ËŒfu̇l\

: an amount that you can hold in your hand

: a small amount or number

: someone or something that is difficult to control

plural handfuls \-ËŒfu̇lz\ also hands·ful \ˈhan(d)z-ËŒfu̇l\

Full Definition of HANDFUL

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>

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Examples of HANDFUL

1. The children collected seashells by the handful.
2. Our dog is a real handful.

First Known Use of HANDFUL

before 12th century

Related to HANDFUL

Synonyms

couple, few, scatter, scattering, smatter, smattering, sprinkle, sprinkling

Antonyms

army, crowd, flock, gazillion, horde, host, jillion, kazillion, legion, loads, many, mountain, multitude, oodles, scads, thousands, zillion

Related Words

minority; atom, crumb, fragment, grain, iota, jot, modicum, molecule, particle, scrap, shred, tittle, whit

Near Antonyms

majority, most; abundance, excess, plenty, surplus; deal, gobs, heap, lot, mass, much, peck, pile, plenitude, plenty, pot, profusion, quantity, raft, reams, slather, slew, stack, wad, wealth

Rhymes with HANDFUL

armful, bagful, bellpull, brimful, bulbul, cageful, canful, capful, carful, cheekful, chestful, chock-full, cupful, drawerful, earful, eyeful, fistful, forkful, glassful, houseful, in full, jarful, John Bull, jugful, lapful, mouthful, mugful, outpull, pailful, panful, pipeful, pit bull, plateful, potful, push-pull, rackful, roomful, sackful, scoopful, shelfful, skinful, spadeful, spoonful, stageful, steel wool, tankful, tinful, topful, trainful, trayful, truckful, trunkful, tubful